Problems Solving Involving

Polynomial Equations

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Problem solving skills is a process, and consists of
several steps which are applied sequentially.
A. Understand the Problem
Read the problem. What are the given facts?
B. Plan Your Approach
Choose a strategy .
C. Complete the Work
Apply the strategy. Use the algebra you know to
apply the strategy to solve the problem
D. Interpret the Results
State your answer then check. Does n:e l:
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your answer make sense? Does it Tb
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satisfy the conditions of the problem? Yo
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In the TLE Class at General Emilio Aguinaldo National High
 

School, the boys of G10 – Pythagoras was asked to build a huge

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 B. Plan Your Approach
Choose a strategy. The strategy to use is to translate the
facts in the problem into an equation. Then solve to find
the answer.
Assign variables to represent the unknown
Let 𝑥 represent the length
W = 2 m < L Then 𝑥 − 2 will be the width
H=1m<L 𝑥 − 1 the height.
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂 :
 

𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑥 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 𝑥 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

 
60= 𝑥( 𝑥 − 2)( 𝑥 − 1)
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60= 𝑥 − 3 𝑥 +2 𝑥 b
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𝑥 −3 𝑥 + 2 𝑥 − 60= 0 Yo
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 C. Complete the Work
 

 
𝑥=5
 
𝑥=6  
5
 
6 1 −3
 
2 −60
 

1 −3
 
2 −60
  5 10 60
6 18 120 1 2 12 0
If the value of the remainder is
1 3 20 60 = 0 then 5 is a solution.
If the value of the remainder is
not = 0 then 6 is not a e l:
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solution . b eha EJ
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𝑈𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑
 
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 Rewrite the  answer in polynomial form
1
 
2 12  
  𝟑
0
𝒙 −𝟑 𝒙 𝟐+ 𝟐 𝒙 +𝟔𝟎=𝟎
 
Solve the quadratic equation
Quadratic Formula:
 
𝑎=1 𝑏=2 
𝑐=12 𝑊𝑒 h𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 1 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤h𝑖𝑐h 𝑖𝑠 𝑥=5
   

  𝟐  
−𝒃 ± √ 𝒃 − 𝟒 𝒂𝒄 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡h 𝑖𝑠 𝑥 𝐻𝑒𝑖𝑔h𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑥 −1
 
𝒙=  
𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉=𝟓  
𝐻𝑒𝑖𝑔h𝑡 =5 −1
𝟐𝒂
−( 2) ± √ (2) − 4(1)(12)𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑡h 𝑖𝑠 𝑥 −2 𝑯𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕=𝟒
 
  2  

𝑥=  
𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑡h=𝟓 −𝟐
2(1)
 
−2 ± √ 4 − 48
 
𝑾𝒊𝒅𝒕𝒉=𝟑
𝑥=
2 Reject the solutions, e l:
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−2 ± √ − 44 since they are not real Ch
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𝑥= numbers uTb
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2 Yo
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 D. Interpret the Results
The container is 5 m long, 3 m wide, and 4 m high. Is
 

the volume of the container 60 ?

𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆= 𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝒙 𝒘𝒊𝒅𝒕𝒉 𝒙 𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

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 Find four rational numbers such that the product of the first,
third and fourth numbers is 54. Also the second number is 2 less
than the first number, the third is 5 less than the second, and the
fourth is 3 less than the third
Solution:
A. Understand the Problem
You are asked to find 4 rational numbers
that satisfies the given conditions. Equation:
𝑥(𝑥 − 7)(𝑥 − 10) = 54
B. Plan Your Approach
Let 𝑥 = 1 number
st
 
− 17+ 70𝑥 − 54 = 0
𝑥 - 2 = 2nd number (The 2nd is 2 less than the 1st )
𝑥 - 7 = 3rd number (The 3rd is five less than the 2nd .)
𝑥 - 10 = 4th number (The 4th is three less than the 3rd .) n:e l:
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The product of the 1st, 3rd and 4th number is 54. b eha EJ
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Therefore, the equation will be: Yo
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 C. Complete the Work
 

 
𝑥=1
 
𝑥=2  
1
 
2 1 −17
 
70 −54
 

1 −17
 
70 −54
  1 −16
 
54
2 -30 80 1 −16
 
54 0
If the value of the remainder is
1 −15
 
40 16 = 0 then 1 is a solution.
If the value of the remainder is
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solution . b eha EJ
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 Rewrite the  answer in polynomial form
1−16 54
 
0  
  𝟑
𝒙 −𝟏𝟕 𝒙 𝟐+ 𝟕𝟎 𝒙 +𝟓𝟒=𝟎
 
Solve the quadratic equation
Quadratic Formula:  
16 ±2 √ 10
 
𝑎=1 𝑏=−16    
𝑐=54 𝑥=
𝟐
2
 
−𝒃 ± √ 𝒃 − 𝟒 𝒂𝒄
𝒙=  
𝑥=8 ± √ 10
𝟐𝒂 Reject the solutions,
2
 
−(− 16)± √ (− 16) − 4(1)(54) since they are not real
𝑥=
2(1) numbers
 
16 ± √ 256 − 216
𝑥=
2 e l:
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16 ± √ 40 Ch
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 Rewrite the  answer in polynomial form
1−16 54
 
0  
  𝟑
𝒙 −𝟏𝟕 𝒙 𝟐+ 𝟕𝟎 𝒙 +𝟓𝟒=𝟎
 
Solve the quadratic equation
Quadratic Formula:  
−16 ± 2 √ 10
 
𝑎=1 𝑏=−16    
𝑐=54 𝑥=
𝟐
2
 
−𝒃 ± √ 𝒃 − 𝟒 𝒂𝒄
𝒙=  
𝑥=−8 ± √ 10
𝟐𝒂 Reject the solutions,
2
 
−(− 16)± √ (− 16) − 4(1)(54) since they are not real
𝑥=
2(1) numbers
 
16 ± √ 256 − 216
𝑥=
2 e l:
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−16 ± √ 40 Ch
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𝑥= uTb
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𝑊𝑒 h𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 1 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑤h𝑖𝑐h 𝑖𝑠 𝑥=1
 

𝑥 = 1st number 𝑥 - 7 = 3rd number 𝑥 - 10 = 4th number

1 - 2 = 2nd number
2 𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 =−1
 

D. Interpret the Results

 
𝐼𝑠𝑡h𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡h𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 ,𝑡h𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡h 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 54 ?
 
( 1 ) (− 6 ) ( − 9 )=54
 
54 =54 h
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