008A Sample Final A, Question 11

Question: Decompose into separate partial fractions Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{3x^2+6x+7}{(x+3)^2(x-1)}}

Foundations
1) How many fractions will this decompose into? What are the denominators?
2) How do you solve for the numerators?
Answer:
1) Since each of the factors are linear, and one has multipliclity 2, there will be three denominators. The linear term, $x-1$, will appear once in the denominator of the decomposition. The other two denominators will be Failed to parse (Conversion error. Server ("https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_") reported: "Cannot get mml. Server problem."): {\displaystyle x+3{\text{, and }}(x+3)^{2}} .
2) After writing the equality, Failed to parse (Conversion error. Server ("https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_") reported: "Cannot get mml. Server problem."): {\displaystyle {\frac {3x^{2}+6x+7}{(x+3)^{2}(x-1)}}={\frac {A}{x-1}}+{\frac {B}{x+3}}+{\frac {C}{(x+3)^{2}}}} , clear the denominators, and evaluate both sides at x = 1, -3, and any third value. Each evaluation will yield the value of one of the three unknowns.

Solution:

Step 1:

From the factored form of the denominator we can observe that there will be three denominators: Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle x - 1, x + 3} , and Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle (x + 3)^2} . So the final answer will be of the form: Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{A}{x - 1} + \frac{B}{x + 3} + \frac{C}{(x + 3)^2}}

Step 2:

Now we have the equality Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{3x^2 +6x + 7}{(x + 3)^2(x - 1)} = \frac{A}{x - 1} + \frac{B}{x + 3} + \frac{C}{(x + 3)^2}} . Now clearing the denominators we end up with Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A(x + 3)^2 + B(x - 1)(x + 3) + C(x - 1) = 3x^2 + 6x + 7} .

Step 3:

To proceed we start by evaluating both sides at different x-values. We start with x = 1, since this will zero out the B and C. This leads to Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A(1 + 3)^2 = 3(1)^2 + 6(1) + 7} , Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 16A = 3 + 6 + 7} , and finally A = 1.

Step 4:

Now evaluate at -3 to zero out both A and B. This yields the following equations Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle C((-3) - 1) = 3(-3)^2 + 6(-3) + 7} , Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle -4C = 3(9) - 18 + 7} , Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle -4C = 27 - 11} , and Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle C = -4}

Step 5:

To obtain the value of B we can evaluate x at any value except 1, and -3. We do not want to evaluate at 1 and -3 since both of these will zero out the B. Evaluating at x = 0 will make the arithmetic easier, and gives us Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A(0 + 3)^2 + B(0 - 1)(0 + 3) + C(0 - 1) = 9A -3B -C = 7} . However, we know the values of both A and C, which are 1 and -4, respectively. So Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 9 -3B - (-4) = 7} , Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle -3B + 13 = 7} , Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle -3B = -6} , and finally Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle B = 2} . This means the final answer is Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{1}{x - 1} + \frac{2}{x + 3} - \frac{4}{(x + 3)^2}}

Final Answer:
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{1}{x - 1} + \frac{2}{x + 3} - \frac{4}{(x + 3)^2}}

Return to Sample Exam