Solve -3x² - 6x - 2 = 0
The solutions of -3x² - 6x - 2 = 0 are x = (-3 + √3)/3 or x = (-3 - √3)/3, that is x ≈ -1.5773503 and x ≈ -0.42264973.
Change a, b or c (whole numbers, a not 0) and the exact solutions follow.
How to work it out
- 1
Write it in standard form a x² + b x + c = 0 and read off the coefficients: a = -3, b = -6, c = -2.
- 2
Work out the discriminant D = b² − 4ac. Its sign tells you how many real solutions there are.
- 3
D is positive, so there are two different real solutions.
- 4
The quadratic formula works for every quadratic:
- 5
Simplify (pull the square out of the root) to get the solutions:
- 6
As decimals: x ≈ -1.5773503 and x ≈ -0.42264973.
- 7
Check numerically: for x ≈ -1.5773503 the left side is 8.8817842e-16 (zero up to rounding) ✓
LaTeX source of the formulas on this page
\[ -3x^2 - 6x - 2 = 0\ \Rightarrow\ x = \frac{-3 + \sqrt{3}}{3},\ \frac{-3 - \sqrt{3}}{3} \]
\[ -3x^2 - 6x - 2 = 0 \]
\[ D = (-6)^2 - 4\cdot(-3)\cdot(-2) = 36 - 24 = 12 \]
\[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{D}}{2a} = \frac{6 \pm \sqrt{12}}{-6} \]
\[ x = \frac{-3 + \sqrt{3}}{3}\quad\text{or}\quad x = \frac{-3 - \sqrt{3}}{3} \]The parabola y = -3x² - 6x - 2
| x | y |
|---|---|
| -4 | -26 |
| -3 | -11 |
| -2 | -2 |
| -1 | 1 |
| 0 | -2 |
| 1 | -11 |
| 2 | -26 |
Questions
What are the solutions of -3x² - 6x - 2 = 0?
The solutions of -3x² - 6x - 2 = 0 are x = (-3 + √3)/3 or x = (-3 - √3)/3, that is x ≈ -1.5773503 and x ≈ -0.42264973.
Does -3x² - 6x - 2 = 0 factor?
Not over the integers, because the discriminant 12 is not a perfect square. Use the quadratic formula.
What is the vertex of y = -3x² - 6x - 2?
(-1, 1). The parabola opens downwards, so this is the maximum.
What are the sum and product of the roots?
Sum = −b/a = -2, product = c/a = 2/3.