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Are there any extraneous solutions to the following equation? Show how you determine whether there are any extraneous solutions or not.

−3−2x−−−−−−−√=2−x−−−−√

1 answer

To determine if there are any extraneous solutions for the equation \(-3 - 2\sqrt{-x} = 2 - \sqrt{-x}\), we will follow a systematic approach.

Step 1: Rearrange the Equation

Start by isolating the radical terms on one side:

\[ -3 - 2\sqrt{-x} = 2 - \sqrt{-x} \]

Add \(\sqrt{-x}\) to both sides:

\[ -3 - 2\sqrt{-x} + \sqrt{-x} = 2 \]

This simplifies to:

\[ -3 - \sqrt{-x} = 2 \]

Next, add 3 to both sides:

\[ -\sqrt{-x} = 5 \]

Step 2: Solve for \(\sqrt{-x}\)

Multiply both sides by -1:

\[ \sqrt{-x} = -5 \]

Step 3: Square Both Sides

We will now square both sides to eliminate the square root:

\[ (-x) = (-5)^2 \]

This leads to:

\[ -x = 25 \]

Next, solve for \(x\):

\[ x = -25 \]

Step 4: Check for Extraneous Solutions

Now that we have \(x = -25\), we need to check whether this solution satisfies the original equation. Substitute \(x = -25\) back into the original equation:

\[ -3 - 2\sqrt{-(-25)} = 2 - \sqrt{-(-25)} \]

Calculate \(-(-25)\):

\[ -3 - 2\sqrt{25} = 2 - \sqrt{25} \]

Since \(\sqrt{25} = 5\), we substitute:

\[ -3 - 2(5) = 2 - 5 \]

This becomes:

\[ -3 - 10 = 2 - 5 \]

Calculating both sides:

Left side:

\[ -3 - 10 = -13 \]

Right side:

\[ 2 - 5 = -3 \]

Step 5: Compare Results

The left side gives \(-13\) and the right side gives \(-3\). Since \(-13 \neq -3\), \(x = -25\) does not satisfy the original equation.

Conclusion

Thus, the solution \(x = -25\) is extraneous because it does not satisfy the original equation. Therefore, there are extraneous solutions for the equation \( -3 - 2\sqrt{-x} = 2 - \sqrt{-x} \).