Find the​ x-intercept(s) algebraically.

​f(x)equals2 x squared minus 11 x plus 14
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1 answer

To find the x-intercepts of the function \( f(x) = 2x^2 - 11x + 14 \), we need to solve the equation \( f(x) = 0 \).

This means we need to set the equation equal to zero and solve for \( x \):

\[ 2x^2 - 11x + 14 = 0 \]

Now, we can use the quadratic formula, which is given by:

\[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \]

Here, \( a = 2 \), \( b = -11 \), and \( c = 14 \).

  1. Calculate the discriminant:

\[ b^2 - 4ac = (-11)^2 - 4 \cdot 2 \cdot 14 \] \[ = 121 - 112 = 9 \]

  1. Now substitute into the quadratic formula:

\[ x = \frac{-(-11) \pm \sqrt{9}}{2 \cdot 2} \] \[ x = \frac{11 \pm 3}{4} \]

  1. This gives us two possible solutions:
  • For the positive case:

\[ x = \frac{11 + 3}{4} = \frac{14}{4} = 3.5 \]

  • For the negative case:

\[ x = \frac{11 - 3}{4} = \frac{8}{4} = 2 \]

Thus, the x-intercepts of the function \( f(x) = 2x^2 - 11x + 14 \) are:

\[ x = 2 \quad \text{and} \quad x = 3.5 \]

So the x-intercepts are \( x = 2 \) and \( x = 3.5 \).