Find the X-Intercepts of the Quadratic: y=x(x-1)

X-Intercepts with Factored Quadratic Functions

Consider the following function:

y=x(x1) y=x(x-1)

Determine the points of intersection with x.

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Find the intersection points with the X-axis
00:03 At the intersection with the X-axis, the Y value must = 0
00:07 Substitute Y = 0 and solve for X values
00:10 Find what makes each factor in the product zero
00:14 This is one solution
00:21 This is the second solution
00:25 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Consider the following function:

y=x(x1) y=x(x-1)

Determine the points of intersection with x.

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll need to determine where the function intersects the x-axis, which occurs where y=0 y = 0 .

Let's work through the solution:

  • Step 1: Set the function equal to zero: x(x1)=0 x(x-1) = 0 .
  • Step 2: Apply the zero-product property, which states that if the product of two numbers is zero, at least one of the factors must be zero.
  • Step 3: Set each factor equal to zero: x=0 x = 0 or x1=0 x - 1 = 0 .
  • Step 4: Solve for x x in each equation:
    - For x=0 x = 0 : This immediately gives us the solution x=0 x = 0 .
    - For x1=0 x-1 = 0 : Add 1 to both sides to get x=1 x = 1 .

Therefore, the two points of intersection with the x-axis are (0,0) (0,0) and (1,0) (1,0) .

This matches with choice 2, thus confirming the correct option.

Thus, the points of intersection with the x-axis are (0,0) (0,0) and (1,0) (1,0) .

3

Final Answer

(0,0),(1,0) (0,0),(1,0)

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Zero-Product Property: If ab = 0, then a = 0 or b = 0
  • Technique: Set each factor equal to zero: x = 0 and x - 1 = 0
  • Check: Both points have y = 0: (0,0) and (1,0) lie on x-axis ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Finding y-intercept instead of x-intercept
    Don't substitute x = 0 to find where function crosses x-axis = this gives y-intercept (0,0) only! This misses the second x-intercept at (1,0). Always set y = 0 and solve for all x-values.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

The following function has been graphed below:

\( f(x)=-x^2+5x+6 \)

Calculate points A and B.

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FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I set y = 0 to find x-intercepts?

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X-intercepts are points where the graph crosses the x-axis. On the x-axis, the y-coordinate is always 0, so we set y=0 y = 0 to find where this happens.

What if the quadratic isn't already factored?

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You'll need to factor it first or use the quadratic formula. Factored form like x(x1) x(x-1) makes finding x-intercepts much easier using the zero-product property.

Can a quadratic have more than 2 x-intercepts?

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No! A quadratic function can have at most 2 x-intercepts. It might have 2 (like this problem), 1 (touching the x-axis), or 0 (never crossing the x-axis).

How do I know which points are correct from the answer choices?

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Remember that x-intercepts always have y = 0. Look for points in the form (a,0) (a, 0) where the y-coordinate is zero. Points like (0,1) or (1,1) cannot be x-intercepts!

What's the difference between x-intercepts and roots?

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They're the same thing! Roots, zeros, and x-intercepts all refer to the x-values where y=0 y = 0 . The x-intercepts are just the coordinate points: (root, 0).

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