Question Details

The equations x25x+6=0 and x2+ax+b=0, have exactly one common root, and the other root of the second equation is –4. Among the following, which are the possible values of a and b?

Options

A

a=3, b=−6

B

a=1, b=12

C

a=5, b=−20

D

a=2, b=−8

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option D

a=2, b=−8

a=2, b=-8

Solution :

To find the possible values of a and b, we can solve the problem step-by-step.

Step 1: Find the roots of the first quadratic equation.
The first equation is given by:
x2-5x+6=0

We can factor this quadratic equation by splitting the middle term:
x2-2x-3x+6=0
x(x-2)-3(x-2)=0
(x-2)(x-3)=0

Thus, the roots of the first equation are:
x=2 and x=3

Step 2: Analyze the second quadratic equation.
The second equation is:
x2+ax+b=0

We are given that the two equations share exactly one common root, and the other root of this second equation is -4. This leads to two possible cases depending on which root is shared.

Case 1: The common root is x=2.
In this case, the roots of the second equation are 2 and -4.
Using the relationship between the roots and coefficients of a quadratic equation:
The sum of the roots is:
2+(-4)=-a
-2=-a
a=2

The product of the roots is:
2×(-4)=b
b=-8

So, one possible pair of values is a=2 and b=-8.

Case 2: The common root is x=3.
In this case, the roots of the second equation are 3 and -4.
The sum of the roots is:
3+(-4)=-a
-1=-a
a=1

The product of the roots is:
3×(-4)=b
b=-12

So, another possible pair of values is a=1 and b=-12.

Conclusion:
Comparing our findings with the given options, the pair a=2,b=-8 corresponds directly to the correct option.

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