CHAPTER 17 INEQUALITIES

EXERCISE 73 Page 159

1. Solve: (a) 3t  6 (b) 2x  10

6
(a) 3t  6 i.e. t  i.e. t  2
3

10
(b) 2x  10 i.e. x  i.e. x  5
2

x
2. Solve: (a)  1.5 (b) x + 2  5
2

x
(a)  1.5 i.e. x  2(1.5) i.e. x3
2
(b) x + 2  5 i.e. x  5 – 2 i.e. x  3

3. Solve: (a) 4t - 1  3 (b) 5 - x  -1

(a) 4t – 1  3 i.e. 4t  3 + 1 i.e. 4t  4 i.e. t  1

(b) 5 - x  -1 i.e. 5 + 1  x i.e. x  6

7  2k
4. Solve: (a) 1 (b) 3z + 2  z + 3
4

7  2k 3
(a) 1 i.e. 7 – 2k  4 i.e. 7 – 4  2k i.e. 3  2k and k
4 2
1
(b) 3z + 2  z + 3 i.e. 3z – z  3 – 2 i.e. 2z 1 and z
2

5. Solve: (a) 5 - 2y  9 + y (b) 1 - 6x  5 + 2x

4 4
(a) 5 – 2y  9 + y i.e. 5 – 9  y + 2y i.e. -4  3y i.e.  y or y 
3 3
282
 4 1
(b) 1 - 6x  5 + 2x i.e. 1 – 5  2x + 6x i.e. -4  8x i.e.  x or x-
8 2

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EXERCISE 74 Page 161

1. Solve: t 1  4

If t  1  4 then - 4  t + 1  4

- 4  t + 1 becomes -5t

t+14 becomes t3

Hence, -5t 3

2. Solve: y3  2

If y  3  2 then - 2  y + 3  2

- 2  y + 3 becomes -5y

y+32 becomes y-1

Hence, -5y-1

3. Solve: 2x  1  4

If 2 x  1  4 then -4  2x – 1  4

3
-4  2x – 1 becomes -3  2x and  x
2

5
2x – 1  4 becomes 2x  5 and x
2

3 5
Hence,   x
2 2

4. Solve: 3t  5  4

If 3t  5  4 then -4 3t – 5  4

284
 1 1
-4  3t – 5 becomes 5 - 4  3t and 1  3t i.e.  t or t 
3 3

3t – 5  4 becomes 3t  4 + 5 and 3t  9 i.e. t3

1
Hence, t  3 and t 
3

5. Solve: 1  k  3

1 k  3 means 1–k3 and 1–k-3

i.e. 1–3k and 1+3k

i.e. k-2 and k4

285
EXERCISE 75 Page 161

x4
1. Solve: 0
6  2x

x4 x4
Since  0 then must be positive.
6  2x 6  2x
x4
For to be positive, either (i) x + 4  0 and 6 – 2x  0 or (ii) x + 4  0 and 6 – 2x  0
6  2x
(i) If x + 4  0 then x  - 4 and if 6 – 2x  0 then 6  2x and x  3

Both of the inequalities x  - 4 and x  3 are only true when - 4  x  3,

x4
i.e. the fraction is positive when - 4  x  3
6  2x
(ii) If x + 4  0 then x  - 4 and if 6 – 2x  0 then 6  2x and x  3

It is not possible to satisfy both x  - 4 and x  3

x4
Summarising,  0 when - 4  x  3
6  2x

2t  4
2. Solve: 1
t 5

If
2t  4
1 then
2t  4
-10 i.e.
2t  4 t  5
  0 and
 2t  4    t  5  0
t 5 t 5 t 5 t 5 t 5

t9
i.e. 0 Hence, either (i) t + 9  0 and t – 5  0
t 5

or (ii) t + 9  0 and t–50

(i) t  - 9 and t  5 and both inequalities are true when t  5

(ii) t  - 9 and t  5 and both inequalities are true when t  - 9

2t  4
Hence,  1 is true when t  5 or t  - 9
t 5

3z  4
3. Solve: 2
z5

286
 3z  4 3z  4 3z  4 2(z  5) (3z  4)  2(z  5)
If 2 then -20 i.e.   0 and 0
z5 z5 z  5 (z  5) z5

3z  4  2z  10 z  14
i.e. 0 i.e. 0
z5 z5

Hence, either (i) z - 14  0 and z+50

or (ii) z – 14  0 and z+50

(i) z  14 and z  -5 i.e. - 5  z  14

(ii) z  14 and z  -5 Both of these inequalities are not possible to satisfy.

3z  4
Hence,  2 is true when - 5  z  14
z5

2x
4. Solve: 4
x3

If
2x
4 then
2x
-40 i.e.
2  x 4(x  3)
  0 and
 2  x    4x  12   0
x3 x3 x3 x3 x 3

5x  10
i.e. 0 Hence, either (i) - 5x - 10  0 and x+30
x 3

or (ii) - 5x – 10  0 and x+30

(i) - 5x  10 i.e. x  - 2 and x  - 3 thus both inequalities are true when - 3  x  - 2

(ii) - 5x  10 i.e. x  - 2 and x  - 3 and both of these inequalities are not possible to satisfy

2x
Hence,  4 is true when - 3  x  - 2
x3

287
EXERCISE 76 Page 162

1. Solve: z 2  16

If z 2  16 then z  16 or z  - 16

i.e. z  4 or z  - 4

2. Solve: z 2  16

If z 2  16 then - 16  z  16

i.e. –4 z 4

3. Solve: 2x 2  6

2x 2  6 i.e. x2  3 hence, x 3 or x  - 3

4. Solve: 3k 2 - 2  10

3k 2  2  10 i.e. 3k 2  12 and k2  4

Hence, - 4 k 4 i.e. - 2  k  2

 t  1  36
2
5. Solve:

 t  1  36 36  (t – 1) 
2
then - 36

i.e. - 6  (t – 1)  6

i.e. 1-6t6+1

i.e. -5t7

 t  1  36
2
6. Solve:

288
 t  1  36 then (t – 1)  (t – 1)  - 36
2
36 or

i.e. (t – 1)  6 or (t – 1)  -6

i.e. t 7 or t -5

7. Solve: 7 - 3y 2  -5

Since 7 - 3y 2  -5 then 7 + 5  3y 2

i.e. 12  3y 2 and 4  y2 or y2  4

If y 2  4 then y  4 or y  - 4

i.e. y  2 or y  - 2

 4k  5 9
2
8. Solve:

 4k  5 9 4k + 5  4k + 5  - 9
2
then 9 or

i.e. 4k + 5  3 or 4k + 5  -3

i.e. 4k  -2 or 4k  -8

1
and k  or k -2
2

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EXERCISE 77 Page 163

1. Solve: x 2 - x - 6  0

x2  x  6  0 thus (x – 3)(x + 2)  0

Either (i) x – 3  0 and x+20

or (ii) x – 3  0 and x+20

(i) x  3 and x  -2 i.e. x3

(ii) x  3 and x  -2 i.e. x-2

2. Solve: t 2 + 2t - 8  0

Since t 2 + 2t - 8  0 then (t - 2)(t + 4)  0 by factorising.

For the product (t - 2)(t + 4) to be negative, either (i) (t - 2)  0 and (t + 4)  0

or (ii) (t - 2)  0 and (t + 4)  0

(i) Since (t - 2)  0 then t  2 and since (t + 4)  0 then t  - 4

It is not possible to satisfy both t  2 and t  - 4 , thus no values of t satisfies the inequality (i)

(ii) Since (t - 2)  0 then t  2 and since (t + 4)  0 then t  - 4

Hence, (ii) is satisfied when - 4  t  2

Summarising, t 2 + 2t - 8  0 is satisfied when - 4  t  2

3. Solve: 2 x 2 + 3x - 2  0

2x 2  3x  2  0 thus (2x – 1)(x + 2)  0

Either (i) 2x – 1  0 and x+20

or (ii) 2x – 1  0 and x+20

1
(i) 2x  1 i.e. x  and x  -2 both of which are not possible
2

290
 1 1
(ii) 2x  1 i.e. x  and x  -2 thus -2x
2 2

4. Solve: y 2 - y - 20  0

Since y 2 - y - 20  0 then (y - 5)(y + 4)  0 by factorising.

For the product (y - 5)(y + 4) to be positive, either (i) (y - 5)  0 and (y + 4)  0

or (ii) (y - 5)  0 and (y + 4)  0

(i) Since (y - 5)  0 then y  5 and since (y + 4)  0 then y  - 4

Both of these inequalities are satisfied only when y  5

(ii) Since (y - 5)  0 then y  5 and since (y + 4)  0 then y  - 4

Both of these inequalities are satisfied only when y  - 4

Summarising, y 2 - y - 20  0 is satisfied when either y  5 or y  - 4

5. Solve: z 2 + 4z + 4  4

z 2  4z  4  4 i.e. z2  4z  0 i.e. z(z + 4)  0

Either (i) z  0 and z  -4 i.e. -4z0

or (ii) z  0 and z  -4 both of which are not possible

6. Solve: x 2 + 6x + 6  0

x 2 + 6x + 6 does not factorise; completing the square gives:

x 2 + 6x + 6   x  3 + 6 - 32   x  3 - 3
2 2

 x  3 -30  x  3 3
2 2
The inequality thus becomes: or

From equation 2, - 3  (x + 3)  3 from which,  

3 3  x   3 3 
Hence, x 2 + 6x + 6  0 is satisfied when  
33 x  33 

291
7. Solve: t 2 - 4t - 7  0

Since t 2  4t  7  0  t  2 -7–40
2
then

 t  2  11
2
i.e.

and t – 2  11 or t – 2  - 11

thus, 
t  2  11  or 
t  2  11 

8. Solve: k 2 - k - 3  0

2
 1 1
Since k - k – 3  0
2
then k   - 3 –  0
 2 4

2
 1 13
i.e. k   
 2 4

1 13 1 13
and k–  or t– -
2 4 2 4

 13 1   13 1 
thus, k     or k     
 4 2  4 2 

Alternatively, k
1
2
1  13  or k
1
2
1  13 

292