Questions: Given the following polynomial function:
p(x) = 6x^3 + x^2 + 3x + 8
According to the Rational Zero Theorem, the possible zeros for p(x) are ±(1,2,4,8)/(1,2,3,6)
Substitution reveals that x = -1 is a zero of p(x). Perform synthetic division to express p(x) in the factored form given below. Find the values for a, b, c.
p(x) = (x+1)(ax^2 + bx + c)
a =
b =
c =
Identify the nature of the remaining two zeros: complex, rational, irrational (type one):
Transcript text: Given the following polynomial function:
\[
p(x)=6 x^{3}+x^{2}+3 x+8
\]
According to the Rational Zero Theorem, the possible zeros for $p(x)$ are $\pm\left(\frac{1,2,4,8}{1,2,3,6}\right)$
Substitution reveals that $x=-1$ is a zero of $p(x)$. Perform synthetic division to express $p(x)$ in the factored form given below. Find the values for $a, b, c$.
\[
\begin{array}{l}
p(x)=(x+1)\left(a x^{2}+b x+c\right) \\
a= \\
\square
\end{array}
\]
\[
b=
\]
$\square$
\[
c=
\]
$\square$
Identify the nature of the remaining two zeros: complex, rational, irrational (type one):
$\square$
Solution
Solution Steps
To solve this problem, we will use synthetic division to divide the polynomial \( p(x) = 6x^3 + x^2 + 3x + 8 \) by \( x + 1 \), since \( x = -1 \) is a known zero. This will help us express \( p(x) \) in the form \( (x+1)(ax^2 + bx + c) \). The coefficients \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) will be determined from the result of the synthetic division. Finally, we will analyze the quadratic \( ax^2 + bx + c \) to determine the nature of its zeros.
Step 1: Perform Synthetic Division
We start with the polynomial \( p(x) = 6x^3 + x^2 + 3x + 8 \) and divide it by \( x + 1 \) using synthetic division. The coefficients of the polynomial are \( [6, 1, 3, 8] \) and the known zero is \( -1 \).
After performing synthetic division, we find the quotient to be \( 6x^2 - 5x + 3 \) and the remainder is \( 0 \). Thus, we can express \( p(x) \) as:
\[
p(x) = (x + 1)(6x^2 - 5x + 3)
\]
Step 2: Identify Coefficients
From the quotient \( 6x^2 - 5x + 3 \), we identify the coefficients:
\[
a = 6, \quad b = -5, \quad c = 3
\]
Step 3: Determine the Nature of the Remaining Zeros
Next, we analyze the quadratic \( 6x^2 - 5x + 3 \) to determine the nature of its zeros. We calculate the discriminant \( D \) using the formula:
\[
D = b^2 - 4ac = (-5)^2 - 4 \cdot 6 \cdot 3 = 25 - 72 = -47
\]
Since the discriminant \( D < 0 \), the quadratic has two complex zeros.
Final Answer
The values of \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) are:
\[
\boxed{a = 6}, \quad \boxed{b = -5}, \quad \boxed{c = 3}
\]
The nature of the remaining two zeros is:
\[
\boxed{\text{complex}}
\]