To find the solutions to the quadratic equation 3x2 + 42x + 75 = 0, we can use the quadratic formula, which is given by:
x = (-b ± √(b2 – 4ac)) / (2a)
In our case, the coefficients are:
- a = 3
- b = 42
- c = 75
Now, we first need to calculate the discriminant (b2 – 4ac):
Discriminant = b2 – 4ac = 422 – 4 * 3 * 75
Calculating that gives us:
Discriminant = 1764 – 900 = 864
Since the discriminant is positive, we will have two distinct real solutions. Next, we substitute the values into the quadratic formula:
x = (-42 ± √864) / (2 * 3)
Now, simplify the square root of 864:
√864 = √(144 * 6) = 12√6
Substituting back, we have:
x = (-42 ± 12√6) / 6
Now, we can simplify this further:
x = -7 ± 2√6
Thus, the two solutions to the quadratic equation 3x2 + 42x + 75 = 0 are:
- x = -7 + 2√6
- x = -7 – 2√6
These represent the values of x that satisfy the original quadratic equation.