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Ch. 1 - Equations and Inequalities
Lial - College Algebra 13th Edition
Lial13th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136881063Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 2, Problem 79b

For each equation, (b) solve for y in terms of x. See Example 8.
4x22xy+3y2=24x^2 - 2xy + 3y^2 = 2

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1
Start with the given equation: \(4x^2 - 2xy + 3y^2 = 2\).
Rewrite the equation to isolate terms involving \(y\): \(3y^2 - 2xy + 4x^2 = 2\).
Recognize this as a quadratic equation in terms of \(y\), where \(a = 3\), \(b = -2x\), and \(c = 4x^2 - 2\).
Use the quadratic formula to solve for \(y\): \(y = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}\), substituting \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) accordingly.
Simplify the expression under the square root and write the solution for \(y\) explicitly in terms of \(x\).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Solving for a Variable

Solving for a variable means isolating that variable on one side of the equation. In this problem, you need to express y explicitly in terms of x, which may involve rearranging terms and using algebraic techniques to isolate y.
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Using the Quadratic Formula

When an equation is quadratic in y, the quadratic formula can be used to solve for y in terms of x. The formula y = [-b ± sqrt(b² - 4ac)] / 2a helps find the roots of the quadratic equation, where a, b, and c are expressions involving x.
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