Solving the Division: (3x² - 14x - 5) ÷ (x - 5)
This problem involves polynomial division. There are two main ways to approach this:
1. Long Division
This method is similar to long division with numbers.
Steps:
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Set up the division: Write the dividend (3x² - 14x - 5) inside the division symbol and the divisor (x - 5) outside.
___________ x - 5 | 3x² - 14x - 5
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Divide the leading terms: Divide the leading term of the dividend (3x²) by the leading term of the divisor (x). This gives us 3x. Write this above the line.
3x x - 5 | 3x² - 14x - 5
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Multiply the quotient by the divisor: Multiply the quotient (3x) by the divisor (x - 5) and write the result below the dividend.
3x x - 5 | 3x² - 14x - 5 3x² - 15x
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Subtract: Subtract the result from the dividend.
3x x - 5 | 3x² - 14x - 5 3x² - 15x ------- x - 5
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Bring down the next term: Bring down the next term from the dividend (-5).
3x x - 5 | 3x² - 14x - 5 3x² - 15x ------- x - 5
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Repeat steps 2-5: Divide the new leading term (x) by the leading term of the divisor (x). This gives us 1. Write it above the line.
3x + 1 x - 5 | 3x² - 14x - 5 3x² - 15x ------- x - 5 x - 5
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Subtract: Subtract the result.
3x + 1 x - 5 | 3x² - 14x - 5 3x² - 15x ------- x - 5 x - 5 ----- 0
Therefore, (3x² - 14x - 5) ÷ (x - 5) = 3x + 1.
2. Synthetic Division
This method is a shortcut for long division when the divisor is of the form (x - a).
Steps:
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Write the coefficients: Write the coefficients of the dividend (3, -14, -5) and the constant term of the divisor (5).
5 | 3 -14 -5
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Bring down the first coefficient: Bring down the first coefficient (3) below the line.
5 | 3 -14 -5 3
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Multiply and add: Multiply the brought-down coefficient (3) by the constant term of the divisor (5) and write the product (15) below the next coefficient (-14). Add the two numbers (-14 + 15 = 1).
5 | 3 -14 -5 3 15 ------- 3 1
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Repeat step 3: Multiply the new number (1) by the constant term of the divisor (5) and write the product (5) below the next coefficient (-5). Add the two numbers (-5 + 5 = 0).
5 | 3 -14 -5 3 15 5 ------- 3 1 0
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Interpret the result: The last number (0) is the remainder. The other numbers (3, 1) are the coefficients of the quotient.
Therefore, the quotient is 3x + 1 and the remainder is 0. This confirms that (3x² - 14x - 5) ÷ (x - 5) = 3x + 1.