Solve y = 3x² + 21: When is the Function Positive?

Question

Given the function:

y=3x2+21 y=3x^2+21

Determine for which values of x the following holds:

f\left(x\right) > 0

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve the problem, we must determine when the function f(x)=3x2+21 f(x) = 3x^2 + 21 is positive:

  • Step 1: Analyze the quadratic function f(x)=ax2+bx+c f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c . Since a=3 a = 3 and b=0 b = 0 , the parabola opens upwards with vertex at x=0 x = 0 .

  • Step 2: Compute the function's value at the vertex. For x=0 x = 0 , f(0)=3(0)2+21=21 f(0) = 3(0)^2 + 21 = 21 , which is positive.

  • Step 3: Understand the behavior for any x x . Since 3x2 3x^2 is non-negative and +21 +21 added ensures f(x)>0 f(x) > 0 , the entire graph of f(x) f(x) lies above the x-axis.

Therefore, the solution is that for all values of x x , the function f(x)=3x2+21 f(x) = 3x^2 + 21 is always greater than 0.

The correct answer is All x.

Answer

All x