Look at the following function:
y=4x2+8x
Determine for which values of x the following holds:
f(x) > 0
To solve this problem, we first need to find the roots of the quadratic function y=4x2+8x.
Let's factor the quadratic equation:
y=4x2+8x=4x(x+2)
The roots of this equation are found by setting each factor to zero:
4x=0 gives x=0
x+2=0 gives x=−2
Thus, the roots are x=0 and x=−2. These roots divide the number line into three intervals: (−∞,−2), (−2,0), and (0,∞).
Next, we test a value from each interval to determine where the function is positive:
- For the interval (−∞,−2), test x=−3:
y=4(−3)2+8(−3)=36−24=12 (positive)
- For the interval (−2,0), test x=−1:
y=4(−1)2+8(−1)=4−8=−4 (negative)
- For the interval (0,∞), test x=1:
y=4(1)2+8(1)=4+8=12 (positive)
Based on these tests, y=4x2+8x is positive in the intervals x<−2 and x>0.
Therefore, the solution to the problem is x>0 or x<−2.