In Exercises 9–16, a) List all possible rational zeros. b) Use synthetic division to test the possible rational zeros and find an actual zero. c) Use the quotient from part (b) to find the remaining zeros of the polynomial function. f(x)=2x3−3x2−11x+6
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Identify the polynomial function: . To find possible rational zeros, use the Rational Root Theorem.
List all possible rational zeros by taking factors of the constant term (6) over factors of the leading coefficient (2). Factors of 6 are ±1, ±2, ±3, ±6; factors of 2 are ±1, ±2. So possible rational zeros are ±1, ±2, ±3, ±6, ±1/2, ±3/2.
Use synthetic division to test each possible rational zero. Start with one candidate, say , and perform synthetic division with the coefficients [2, -3, -11, 6]. If the remainder is zero, then that candidate is an actual zero.
Once you find an actual zero, the quotient from synthetic division will be a polynomial of degree two. Use this quotient polynomial to find the remaining zeros by factoring or using the quadratic formula.
Solve the quadratic equation obtained from the quotient to find the remaining zeros of the original polynomial function.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Rational Root Theorem
The Rational Root Theorem helps identify all possible rational zeros of a polynomial by considering factors of the constant term and the leading coefficient. These possible roots are expressed as ±(factors of constant term)/(factors of leading coefficient), providing a finite list to test.
Synthetic division is a streamlined method for dividing a polynomial by a linear factor of the form (x - c). It simplifies calculations to test whether a candidate root is an actual zero by checking if the remainder is zero, and it produces a quotient polynomial for further analysis.
Once a zero is found using synthetic division, the quotient polynomial can be factored further or solved using other methods (like quadratic formula) to find remaining zeros. This step breaks down the polynomial into simpler factors, revealing all roots of the function.