Solving the Equation: (x+1)(4x-2) = (2x-1)(3x-1)
This article will guide you through solving the equation (x+1)(4x-2) = (2x-1)(3x-1).
Expanding Both Sides
The first step is to expand both sides of the equation using the distributive property (also known as FOIL).
- Left Side: (x+1)(4x-2) = 4x² - 2x + 4x - 2 = 4x² + 2x - 2
- Right Side: (2x-1)(3x-1) = 6x² - 2x - 3x + 1 = 6x² - 5x + 1
Now, our equation looks like this: 4x² + 2x - 2 = 6x² - 5x + 1
Simplifying the Equation
To make the equation easier to solve, we'll move all the terms to one side:
- Subtract 4x² from both sides: 2x - 2 = 2x² - 5x + 1
- Add 5x to both sides: 7x - 2 = 2x² + 1
- Subtract 1 from both sides: 7x - 3 = 2x²
Now we have a quadratic equation: 2x² - 7x + 3 = 0
Solving the Quadratic Equation
We can solve this quadratic equation using the quadratic formula:
x = (-b ± √(b² - 4ac)) / 2a
Where:
- a = 2
- b = -7
- c = 3
Plugging these values into the quadratic formula:
x = (7 ± √((-7)² - 4 * 2 * 3)) / (2 * 2)
x = (7 ± √(49 - 24)) / 4
x = (7 ± √25) / 4
x = (7 ± 5) / 4
This gives us two possible solutions:
- x = (7 + 5) / 4 = 3
- x = (7 - 5) / 4 = 1/2
Checking the Solutions
It's always a good idea to check our solutions by plugging them back into the original equation.
-
For x = 3:
- (3+1)(43-2) = (23-1)(3*3-1)
- 4 * 10 = 5 * 8
- 40 = 40 (This solution works)
-
For x = 1/2:
- (1/2+1)(4*(1/2)-2) = (2*(1/2)-1)(3*(1/2)-1)
- (3/2) * 0 = 0 * (1/2)
- 0 = 0 (This solution also works)
Conclusion
Therefore, the solutions to the equation (x+1)(4x-2) = (2x-1)(3x-1) are x = 3 and x = 1/2.