P1 Chapter 2 :: Quadratics

jfrost@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk
www.drfrostmaths.com
@DrFrostMaths

Last modified: 31th May 2020

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Chapter Overview
Again, most of the content in this chapter is not new, but brings together a variety of
algebraic and graph sketching GCSE skills regarding quadratic equations.

1:: Solving quadratic equations 2:: Completing the square

 
Solve  Write in the form

4:: Quadratic Graphs

3:: Quadratics as functions  Sketch , indicating the
 If , find the roots of . coordinate of the turning point
and any intercepts with the axes.

5:: The Discriminant

6:: Modelling with Quadratics
 Find the range of values of for
which has two distinct real NEW! (since GCSE)
solutions. This subtopic is
completely new.
Why do we care about quadratics…
Good question!
There are a number of practical scenarios where a quadratic relationship
arises between variables…

Projectile Motion
Summations

 The sum of to is . I recently had to make

a Sports Day spreadsheet which took the
number of competing school ‘houses’ and
  projected object, acting only under
A
worked out the total points allocated for
gravity, follows a parabolic trajectory,
an event by finding the formula of the
i.e. its path can be described using a
resulting quadratic sequence.
quadratic equation.
In Mechanics you will see the formula:
1 competitor: points
2 competitors:
Where is distance/displacement, is
3 competitors:
initial speed/velocity, is time and is
competitors:
acceleration (in this case gravitational
acceleration).
This equation is quadratic in .
Why do we care about quadratics…
Hannah’s sweets

Quadratic expressions also regularly emerge when there’s

a product of two expressions involving the same variable
(in this case because Hannah ate two orange sweets).
1 :: Solving Quadratic Equations
2
𝑥 +5 𝑥 =6
 

There are three ways of solving a quadratic equation.

One is by completing the square, which we’ll do later.
What are the other two ways?

By factorisation Using the quadratic formula.

 If then
 
2
𝑥 +5𝑥−6=0
Put
  in form.
with 0 on one side

? Factorise. If the
product of two ?
things is 0, at least
one must be 0.
 1 :: Solving Quadratic Equations
Solving without factorising

If the subject only appears once however, it might be easier not

to expand out/factorise:
 
2 If
  you can’t see why the is required,

( 𝑥−1? ) =5
think about the solutions to: .
, but as well!
So .

Quadratics ‘in disguise’

 
When we have an expression like say , we say it is “quadratic in ”. In trigonometry
you will have to solve equations like . We say that the expression is “quadratic in
”.
Either use a suitable substitution so that you have a ‘normal’ quadratic, or go
straight for the factorisation if you’re feeling more confident (recommended!).
 Solve
 Let , then:
on hard
tuti  
(√ 𝑥−2)(√ ?𝑥−4 )=0
core
bsti
? su
 Test Your Understanding
1  Solve using factorisation. 2 Solve
 

2
2𝑥+1=± √5
 

𝑥 +6𝑥+9=𝑥+5 ? ?

3 Solve
  4 Solve
 

 Squaring both sides:  

The latter gives no solution because the
However, squaring both sides of an square root of a number can’t give a
equation can generate false solutions. negative number.
e.g. If , squaring gives , which falsely
?
creates the extra solution ! We therefore
?
need to check by substituting into the
original equation, where we find only
works.
“Use of Technology” Monkey says:
 The ‘equation’ mode on your calculator will solve
quadratics in the form . When you’re asked for the
‘order’, use 2 (we’ll see why later).
Exercise 2A/2B
Pearson Pure Mathematics Year 1/AS
Pages 20-22

Extension: (Full Database: http://www.drfrostmaths.com/resources/resource.php?rid=268 )

 
Since :

 
(ii)(a)
?i
Use , thus ? ii(a)
(ii)(b):

? ii(b)
2 :: Completing the Square
 
“Completing the square” means putting a quadratic in the form
or

The underlying reason we do this is because only appears once in the

expression (e.g. in vs ), which makes it algebraically easier to handle. This has a
number of consequences:

a. Solving Quadratics b. Sketching Quadratics

 If we have a completed square:  

we saw at the start of the chapter
how we could rearrange to make
the subject.
Indeed using the quadratic formula
is actually solving the quadratic by
completing the square – it’s just
someone has done the work for us
already!
We’ll see later that if , then the minimum
point is
c. In integration
  Further Maths, completing the square
In
allows us to ‘integrate’ expressions like:
(you will cover integration later this module)
Completing the Square Recap
 Textbook Note:
 Expand: The textbook uses the formula
? and similarly
What do you notice about the relationship
between the bold numbers? ?
My personal judgement is that it’s
The in is half the coefficient of in the expansion. not worth memorising these and you
should instead think through the
steps. Even the textbook agrees!
?
 Therefore if we had , how could we write it in
the form ?

?  Since , we want to discard the 36, so

‘throw it away’ by subtracting.

 Further Examples:
? Notice
  that despite the being
negative, we still subtract after the
? bracket as is positive.

?
Completing the Square
 Express in the form

  ?  
Factorise out coefficient of .

2
¿2 ( 𝑥 +6 𝑥 )+ 7
You can leave the constant
? term outside the bracket.

? Complete the square inside

the bracket (you should
? have two sets of brackets)

Expand out outer bracket.

 Express in the form

2
  ?
  may help to write in the
It
?

¿−3𝑥 +6𝑥+5 ?
?
?
form first.
Test Your Understanding
 Express in the form

 
2
¿3 ( 𝑥 −6 𝑥 ) +4 ?

 Express in the form

2
 

¿−5𝑥 +20𝑥+3 ?
Solving by Completing the Square
 Solve the equation:

4
   
Froflections: Previously we
? First step factorised out the 3. This is
because on its own is an

2
expression, so dividing by 3

𝑥 −6𝑥+ =0
(instead of factorising) would
change the expression.

However, in an equation, we can

3
divide both sides by 3 without
? And the rest… affecting the solutions.
Exercise 2C/2D
Pearson Pure Mathematics Year 1/AS
Page 23-24
Proving the Quadratic Formula
 If , prove that

2
  Just use exactly the same method

𝑎𝑥 +𝑏𝑥+𝑐=0
as you usually would!

!
3 :: Functions
A function is something which provides a rule on how to map inputs to outputs.
We saw at GCSE that functions were a formal way of describing a ‘number
machine’:

Input Output

𝑥 𝑓 2𝑥
     

Input Output
  Name of the function
(often or )
?
𝑓 ( 𝑥)= 2 𝑥
 
3 :: Functions
You’ll cover functions extensively in future chapters, but for now, you need to
understand the following concepts:
 
The domain of a function
Inputs Outputs could potentially be any real
number. If so, we’d write:
-1 1
0 0 The
?
the set of real numbers
  input …
is a member of…
2
𝑓 ( 𝑥 )= 𝑥
 
1.7 2.89
  might be interested in
We
2 4 what inputs give an output of
3.1 9.61 0. These are known as the
roots of the function.
... ?
...
!  The roots/zeroes of a
function are the values of
! The domain of a ! The range of a function for which .
function is the set of is the set of possible
possible inputs. outputs.
Examples
 If and Fro Note: The domain is
a) Find usually stated for you.
b) Find the values of for which
c) Find the roots of .
d) Find the roots of .

a 2 c  
The roots are the inputs which give an
𝑓 ( −4 )=( −4 ) −3
 
? ( −4 ) output of 0. So set output expression
to 0.
?
b  
Conceptually, we’re looking for the
inputs of the functions which give the
same outputs. We can just equate the
output expressions.
?
d  
𝑥 +5?=0
Examples
 Determine the minimum value of the function , and This means we want to
state the value of for which this minimum occurs. minimise the output of
the function.

  might try a (clumsy) approach of trying a few values of

You
and try to see what makes the output as small as possible…

𝑓 ( 1) =1−6+2=−3
 
This looks like the
? minimum as the value
starts going up after.

  the best way to find the minimum/maximum value of a

But
quadratic is to complete the square:
Since
  anything squared is at
least 0, the smallest we can
make the bracket is 0, which
 
2 occurs when .

𝑓 ( 1) =( −2) −7=−3 ? !  If , the minimum value of is ,

which occurs when .
Quickfire Questions

Completed square Min/max value of for which this

min/max occurs

? ? ?
? ? ?
Already completed
? ? ?
? ? ?
Test Your Understanding
1  Find the minimum value of 2  Find the roots of the function
and state the value of for
which this occurs.
 
2
 

Minimum value is -23.

2𝑥 +3𝑥+1=0 ?

at which this occurs

? is -3.
3  Find the roots of the function

 
4 2
𝑥 − 𝑥 −6=0 ?
Exercise 2E
Pearson Pure Mathematics Year 1/AS
Page 26-27
4 :: Quadratic Graphs
 Recall that refers to the input of a function, and the expression refers to the output.
For graph sketches, we often write , i.e. we set the values to be the output of the

𝑦
function.  
A ‘sketch’ in maths has a clearly
defined meaning:
Features needed in • We care about the general
sketch of quadratic? shape of the graph, not exact
points.
• The axes should have no scale.
• Generally the only coordinates
 Recall a root of a indicated are intercepts with
function is where the axis or other points of
the output, in ?
Roots interest (e.g. intersections of
multiple graphs)
this case the
value, is 0.
 
𝑥

General shape:   ?
-intercept
?
Smiley face or hill?
? point
Turning
Example
 Sketch the graph of and find the coordinates of
the turning point.
 𝑦

𝟐
𝒙 +𝟑?𝒙− 𝟒=𝟎
Roots:  

 
-intercept:  
When
?
Turning point:  
Min point:
𝑥 
? -4 1

  3 25 -4
( − ,−
2 4 )
 Recall that if , the minimum output is and is
the value which minimises it. i.e. Turning point
is
 Example
 Sketch the graph of and find the coordinates of the turning point.
Write down the equation of the line of symmetry.
 𝑦
Roots:  

This has no solutions, so the value

can never be 0, i.e. the parabola
  𝑥 =1
does not touch the? -axis.

 
-intercept: -3 (by inspection)
𝑥 
? ( 1 ,− 1 )
-3
Turning point:  
Max point is

?
Line of reflection:   𝒙=𝟏 ?
Test Your Understanding
Sketch the following, indicating any intercepts with the axis, the turning point
and the equation of the line of symmetry.

a   𝑦 = 𝑥 2+ 4 c  𝑦=5 𝑥+ 3− 2 𝑥 2
𝑦 
  5 , 49
(4 8 )
3

(? 0,4 ) ?
𝑥   
−
1
3
𝑥 
2
  𝑥 =0  𝑥 = 5
4
b  𝑦=𝑥 2 − 7 𝑥+10 d  𝑦= 𝑥 2+ 4 𝑥 +11
 𝑥 = 7
2
11
10 ?
? ( −2,7 )
2 5 𝑥  𝑥 
( 7 , − 9 )
2 4 𝑥=−2
 
Determining the Equation using a Graph
 𝑦

 Determine the equation of this quadratic

graph, in the form .

 
Since the roots are and , a good start
would be:

-3
𝑥  noting that this gives us the correct
2 ‘positive quadratic’ shape.
-12
However, expanding,?we get the wrong
-intercept of -6:

We can simply scale the -value

appropriately without affecting the roots:
Further Example
 𝑦

 Determine the equation of this quadratic

graph, in the form , where are integers.

 A good start would be:

The minus on the front ensures we get a

-1 3.5
𝑥  negative term for the correct shape.
Expanding:

?
Note that no -intercept has been specified,
so we can scale the whole expression
without affecting the roots (i.e. we only
scale in the direction). Doubling:
Test Your Understanding
 𝑦

Determine an equation of this quadratic

10 graph.

 A good start to get the roots correct is:

The minus on the front ensures we get a

negative term for the correct shape.
𝑥  Expanding this gives us the incorrect
-3 3
-intercept of 9:
?
To scale 9 to 10, without affecting the root,
we need to scale by :

Or more cleanly:
Exercise 2F
Pearson Pure Mathematics Year 1/AS
Page 30

Extension Question:
 
[MAT 2003 1H] Into how many regions is the plane divided when
the following three parabolas are drawn?

 𝑦

 Completing the square: 2 5

3
? 6
7
1
4
 𝑥
Starter

How many distinct real solutions do each of the following have?

  ?
(1 distinct solution)

We can’t square?root -11,

Therefore no real solutions.
(2 distinct solutions)
?
5 :: The Discriminant
  Note: Roots of a
Fro
  function are the values
of such that .
Similarly the roots of an
equation are solutions
to an equation in the
form

 Looking
at this formula, when in general do you think we have:
• No real roots? ?
• Equal roots? ? !
• Two distinct roots? ?
Because adding 0 or subtracting 0 in the
quadratic formula gives the same value.
  is known as the discriminant.
5 :: The Discriminant
 𝑦  𝑦
We say the graph
“touches” the axis.
𝑥 

𝑥 
 𝑦

Distinct real roots Equal roots

𝟐 𝟐
 
𝒃 − 𝟒 𝒂𝒄 >𝟎 𝒃 −𝟒 𝒂𝒄=𝟎
 

𝑥 

No real roots
𝟐
 
𝒃 − 𝟒 𝒂𝒄 <𝟎
 Just for your interest…
Why do we say “Equal Roots” not “One root”?
  2
𝑥 −12 𝑥+36=0 It is due to the Fundamental
Using
  the quadratic formula gives us the
Theorem of Algebra:
same value in both and cases: .
You might wonder why we say “it has one  “Every polynomial of order has
repeated root” or “it has equal roots”, i.e. exactly roots.”
indicating we have 2 roots (but with the
same value). Why not say it has 1 root?
These roots might be
A polynomial is an
 expression with The order of a
 repeated or might not be
Despite the theorem being a simple statement, it was only
 until 1806 that it was first proven by Argand. Clearly by using  polynomial is ‘real’ roots. is known as a
non-negative integer
its highest complex number, which you
the quadratic formula we can show a quadratic equation has powers of , i.e.
power of . So will encounter if you do FM.
2 roots. We can use similar formulas to show that a cubic
the order of a But it is still a value!
has 3 roots and a quartic 4 roots. But there is provably no All linear, quadratic and
quadratic is 2, The theorem means that a
such formulae for order 5 (quintics) and beyond. So we have cubic expressions are
and a cubic 3. quadratic (order 2) will
to prove for example that 5 roots exist for a quintic, despite examples of polynomials.
us having no way to find these exact roots! always have 2 roots. This is
why you should say “no real
One side result of the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra is roots” when rather than
There
 Laws’. are various other ‘Fundamental
that every polynomial can be written as a product of linear “no roots”, because there
The ‘FL of Arithmetic’ you
and/or quadratic expressions. are still roots – it’s just
encountered at KS3, which states that
Leibniz claimed in 1702 that a polynomial of the form “every positive integer can be written they’re not ‘real’! Similarly
cannot be written in this way. He then got completely as a product of primes in one way we must say “equal roots”
burned by Euler in 1742 who managed to do so: only”. You will encounter the ‘FL of because there are still 2
Calculus’ in Chapter 13. roots.
 Quickfire Questions
Number of Distinct
Equation Discriminant Real Roots
  2
𝑥 +3 𝑥+ 4=0  
−? 7  
0
?
  2
𝑥 − 4 𝑥+1=0  
12
?  
2
?

  2
𝑥 − 4 𝑥+ 4=0
 
0?  
1
?

2 𝑥 −6 𝑥 − 3=0 60
  2 ?    
2
?

 
𝑥 − 4 −3 𝑥 =0 − 47
2 ?    
0
?
 
1− 𝑥 =02  
4?  
2
?
Problems involving the discriminant

 a) ? ? ?   Tip: Always start by

Fro
writing out and explicitly.

 b) When :
?
Test Your Understanding
 
where is a constant.
Given that this equation has equal roots, determine the value of .

𝑎=1, 𝑏=5𝑘, 𝑐=10𝑘+5

 

 Find the range of values of for which has two distinct real solutions.

𝑎=1,𝑏=6,𝑐=𝑘
 

?
 Exercise 2G
Pearson Pure Mathematics Year 1/AS
Page 32

Extension Questions:
1 [MAT
  2009 1C] Given a real 2  [MAT 2006 1B] The 3  [MAT 2011 1B] A rectangle has
constant , the equation equation perimeter and area . The values
has how many real and must satisfy:
Has four real solutions (including root(s)? A)
possible repeated roots) for: B)
A) C)
B) D)
C) First case:
D) all values of Let and be the width and height.
Then . Substituting:
Square rooting: As no real roots.
Case 1: Discriminant:

Second case: ?
Discriminant:
Case 2:
?
Discriminant:
? So 2 distinct real roots.
Answer is B.
Modelling
The new A Level has a particular emphasis of the application of theory to real-life
situations. A mathematical model is the maths used to model such a situation,
possibly with some simplifying assumptions.

 Example (from textbook): A spear is thrown over level ground from the top of a tower.
The height, in metres, of the spear above the ground after seconds is modelled by the
function:
a) Interpret the meaning of the constant term 12.25 in the model.
b) After how many seconds does the spear hit the ground?
c) Write in the form , where and are constants to be found.
d) Using your answer to part c or otherwise, find the maximum height of the spear
above the ground, and the time at which this maximum height is reached?

a When
  the time is 0, clearly . So the 12.25m is the height of the tower. (In general,
the constant term of an expression is often?the ‘initial value’.

b When it hits the ground, , thus:

Solving gives (to 3sf) but as , (to 3sf) ?
c By completing the square: ?
? 1.5 seconds after spear is thrown.
d The maximum height of the spear is 23.275m,
Exercise 2H

Pearson Pure Mathematics Year 1/AS

Page 34
Would you like $1,000,000 for finding roots?
 We saw earlier that the roots of a function are the values such that .

 
The Riemann Zeta Function is
a function that allows you to
do the infinite sum of powers
of reciprocals, e.g.

One of the 8 ‘Clay

Millennium Problems’ (for
which solving any attracts a
$1,000,000 prize) is to
showing all roots of this
function have some
particular form, i.e. the form
of such that .