Solve 2h^2-11h+12

$$2 h ^ { 2 } - 11 h + 12$$

Factor

$$\left(h-4\right)\left(2h-3\right)$$

Solution Steps

Factor the expression by grouping. First, the expression needs to be rewritten as 2h^{2}+ah+bh+12. To find a and b, set up a system to be solved.

$$a+b=-11 ab=2\times 12=24$$

Since ab is positive, a and b have the same sign. Since a+b is negative, a and b are both negative. List all such integer pairs that give product 24.

$$-1,-24 -2,-12 -3,-8 -4,-6$$

Calculate the sum for each pair.

$$-1-24=-25 -2-12=-14 -3-8=-11 -4-6=-10$$

The solution is the pair that gives sum -11.

$$a=-8 b=-3$$

Rewrite 2h^{2}-11h+12 as \left(2h^{2}-8h\right)+\left(-3h+12\right).

$$\left(2h^{2}-8h\right)+\left(-3h+12\right)$$

Factor out 2h in the first and -3 in the second group.

$$2h\left(h-4\right)-3\left(h-4\right)$$

Factor out common term h-4 by using distributive property.

$$\left(h-4\right)\left(2h-3\right)$$

Steps Using the Quadratic Formula

Quadratic polynomial can be factored using the transformation ax^{2}+bx+c=a\left(x-x_{1}\right)\left(x-x_{2}\right), where x_{1} and x_{2} are the solutions of the quadratic equation ax^{2}+bx+c=0.

$$2h^{2}-11h+12=0$$

All equations of the form ax^{2}+bx+c=0 can be solved using the quadratic formula: \frac{-b±\sqrt{b^{2}-4ac}}{2a}. The quadratic formula gives two solutions, one when ± is addition and one when it is subtraction.

$$h=\frac{-\left(-11\right)±\sqrt{\left(-11\right)^{2}-4\times 2\times 12}}{2\times 2}$$

Square -11.

$$h=\frac{-\left(-11\right)±\sqrt{121-4\times 2\times 12}}{2\times 2}$$

Multiply -4 times 2.

$$h=\frac{-\left(-11\right)±\sqrt{121-8\times 12}}{2\times 2}$$

Multiply -8 times 12.

$$h=\frac{-\left(-11\right)±\sqrt{121-96}}{2\times 2}$$

Add 121 to -96.

$$h=\frac{-\left(-11\right)±\sqrt{25}}{2\times 2}$$

Take the square root of 25.

$$h=\frac{-\left(-11\right)±5}{2\times 2}$$

The opposite of -11 is 11.

$$h=\frac{11±5}{2\times 2}$$

Multiply 2 times 2.

$$h=\frac{11±5}{4}$$

Now solve the equation h=\frac{11±5}{4} when ± is plus. Add 11 to 5.

$$h=\frac{16}{4}$$

Divide 16 by 4.

$$h=4$$

Now solve the equation h=\frac{11±5}{4} when ± is minus. Subtract 5 from 11.

$$h=\frac{6}{4}$$

Reduce the fraction \frac{6}{4} to lowest terms by extracting and canceling out 2.

$$h=\frac{3}{2}$$

Factor the original expression using ax^{2}+bx+c=a\left(x-x_{1}\right)\left(x-x_{2}\right). Substitute 4 for x_{1} and \frac{3}{2} for x_{2}.

$$2h^{2}-11h+12=2\left(h-4\right)\left(h-\frac{3}{2}\right)$$

Subtract \frac{3}{2} from h by finding a common denominator and subtracting the numerators. Then reduce the fraction to lowest terms if possible.

$$2h^{2}-11h+12=2\left(h-4\right)\times \frac{2h-3}{2}$$

Cancel out 2, the greatest common factor in 2 and 2.

$$2h^{2}-11h+12=\left(h-4\right)\left(2h-3\right)$$

Steps Using Direct Factoring Method

Quadratic equations such as this one can be solved by a new direct factoring method that does not require guess work. To use the direct factoring method, the equation must be in the form x^2+Bx+C=0.This is achieved by dividing both sides of the equation by 2

$$x ^ 2 -\frac{11}{2}x +6 = 0$$

Let r and s be the factors for the quadratic equation such that x^2+Bx+C=(x−r)(x−s) where sum of factors (r+s)=−B and the product of factors rs = C

$$r + s = \frac{11}{2} rs = 6$$

Two numbers r and s sum up to \frac{11}{2} exactly when the average of the two numbers is \frac{1}{2}*\frac{11}{2} = \frac{11}{4}. You can also see that the midpoint of r and s corresponds to the axis of symmetry of the parabola represented by the quadratic equation y=x^2+Bx+C. The values of r and s are equidistant from the center by an unknown quantity u. Express r and s with respect to variable u. <div style='padding: 8px'><img src='https://opalmath.azureedge.net/customsolver/quadraticgraph.png' style='width: 100%;max-width: 700px' /></div>

$$r = \frac{11}{4} - u s = \frac{11}{4} + u$$

To solve for unknown quantity u, substitute these in the product equation rs = 6

$$(\frac{11}{4} - u) (\frac{11}{4} + u) = 6$$

Simplify by expanding (a -b) (a + b) = a^2 – b^2

$$\frac{121}{16} - u^2 = 6$$

Simplify the expression by subtracting \frac{121}{16} on both sides

$$-u^2 = 6-\frac{121}{16} = -\frac{25}{16}$$

Simplify the expression by multiplying -1 on both sides and take the square root to obtain the value of unknown variable u

$$u^2 = \frac{25}{16} u = \pm\sqrt{\frac{25}{16}} = \pm \frac{5}{4}$$

The factors r and s are the solutions to the quadratic equation. Substitute the value of u to compute the r and s.

$$r =\frac{11}{4} - \frac{5}{4} = 1.500 s = \frac{11}{4} + \frac{5}{4} = 4$$

Evaluate

$$\left(h-4\right)\left(2h-3\right)$$