Yes, you first step is rite.
Inequalities can be confusing, but with most you can make it easier by imagining the > < or signs are an =, as unless you are multiplying by a negative number at any point then they behave the same.
To make it easier here we'll use it:
x^2 + 9x + 8 = 3x
that might not look as daunting, well first of all, as you know , we are trying to solve the equation so we cant have 3x as our answer, so we take it over to the other side:
x^2 +6x + 8 = 0
then we just have a 'quadratic' this can be solved multiple ways, luckily this can be solved the easiest way, 'factorising' (if you want more help on that message me) this factorises to:
(x + 4)(x + 2) = 0
(if you multiply out the brackets you'll get the original equation)
As we are multiplying 2 thing together and the product is 0, then one of them must be 0, so either could be:
If (x + 4)=0 then x=-4
If (x + 2) = 0 then x=-2
IMPORTANT: Remember to switch the = sign back to the <, otherwise the answer is wrong.
So your answers are x>-4 and x<-2
The reason its x>-4 is that its completely illogical if you had 'anything less than -4 and 'anything less than -2' because anything less than '4 is less than -2 already so we try the other side and get 'anything greater than 4'.
Also its better to express your answer in the 'proper' way, which is
-4 < x < -2
I hope this helped.
__________________ Need more help? PM me. Maths is not numbers, not algebra, no, its your mind thinking logically. |