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1.1 Quadratic Expressions and Equations

Mathematics · Grade 11 · 10 lessons in the design

What this covers

  • Perfect squares in quadratic expressions; completing the square
  • Deriving the quadratic formula; the discriminant; solving quadratic equations with the formula
  • Simultaneous equations, one linear and one quadratic, by substitution
  • Forming quadratic equations from roots and from real-life situations

What you will be able to do

  • identify perfect squares in quadratic expressions and equations
  • solve quadratic equations by completing the square
  • derive the quadratic formula using completing the square
  • solve quadratic equations using the quadratic formula
  • solve simultaneous equations involving linear and quadratic equations
  • apply quadratic equations in real-life situations
  • appreciate the application of quadratic equations in real-life situations

Key questions

“How are quadratic equations applied in day to day life?”

Lessons

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  1. Perfect-square quadratics
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Decide whether a quadratic is the square of a linear expression, using factorisation and the test b squared equals 4ac.
  2. Completing the square
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Rewrite a quadratic as a perfect square plus or minus a number, first when the x^2 coefficient is 1 and then when it is not.
  3. Roots by completing the square
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Solve monic quadratic equations by completing the square, including a repeated root and a root that needs a square root.
  4. Completing the square when a is not 1
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Divide a quadratic equation by its leading coefficient, then complete the square and keep every root.
  5. Deriving the quadratic formula
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Complete the square on ax^2 + bx + c = 0 and arrive at x = [-b plus or minus the square root of (b^2 - 4ac)] divided by 2a.
  6. The discriminant
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Use b^2 - 4ac to decide whether a quadratic equation has two distinct real roots, one repeated real root, or no real root.
  7. Using the quadratic formula
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Solve quadratic equations with the formula, simplify surd roots, and stop when the discriminant is negative.
  8. A line and a quadratic together
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Solve a linear equation and a quadratic equation simultaneously by substitution, and read zero, one or two meeting points from the discriminant.
  9. Building a quadratic
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Form x^2 - (sum)x + product = 0 from two roots, and form a quadratic from a rectangular area, rejecting a negative length.
  10. Quadratics in a story
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Solve a product of consecutive numbers, read a greatest height from a completed square, and find two numbers from their sum and the sum of their squares.