Advanced MathMediumPositive solution of a cubic with a common factor
Advanced Math practice question
If x³ = 4x and x > 0, what is the value of x?
Answer: 2
x³ − 4x = 0 → x(x² − 4) = 0 → x = 0, 2, or −2. The positive solution is 2.
Common wrong answers
- If you answered 0
- 0 is a solution, but not positive.
- If you answered 4
- 4 comes from dividing both sides by x² instead of x.
- If you answered -2
- −2 is a solution, but not positive.
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