Evelyn Hone College
School of Applied and Health Science
Mathematics for Science Laboratory Technology
Certificate and Diploma
Quadratic Functions – Assignment 1 Term 2
Mrs Monde M Msiska
June 2025
1. Prove, by the method of completing the square, that the roots of the equation 0 = ax2 + bx + c are
given by: √
−b ± b2 − 4ac
x=
2a
Hence, find an expression for b in terms of a such that the equation has equal roots.
2. What must be added to x2 − 3x to make a perfect square?
3. Given that the roots of the quadratic equation 5x2 − x + 4 = 0 are α and β, find:
(a) β − α
(b) α2 + β 2
(c) β 3 − α3
α3 β3
(d) −
β α
4. If α and β are roots of x2 − 3x − 5 = 0, find the quadratic equations whose roots are:
(a) α − 3, β − 3
1 1
(b) ,
α+1 β+1
1 1
(c) 2 , 2
α β
5. If α and β are roots of x2 − x − 3 = 0, find:
(a) α + β and αβ
(b) α2 + β 2
(c) (α − β)2
(d) α3 + β 3
6. If ax2 − 8x + 2 = 0 has a repeated root, find the possible values of a.
7. Show that for the quadratic ax2 + bx + c = 0:
b
(a) α + β = −
a
1
c
(b) αβ =
a
8. If α and β are roots of 3x2 + 4x − 2 = 0, find:
1 1
(a) +
α β
β α
(b) +
α β
9. If α and β are roots of x2 − 4x + 2 = 0, find:
β α
(a) +
α β
1 1
(b) 2 + 2
α β
(c) α3 + β 3
(d) (α − β)2
1 1
(e) 2 + 2
α +1 β +1
10. Write 2x2 − 6x − 2 in the form a(x + p)2 + q and find a, p, and q.
11. If α and β are roots of 4x2 + 8x − 1 = 0, find:
β2 α2
(a) +
α β
1 1
(b) The quadratic equation with roots and 2
α2 β
β α
(c) If α and β are roots of −x2 + 2x + 4 = 0, find +
α β
12. If α and β are roots of 2x2 + 6x − 11 = 0, find the quadratic equations whose roots are:
1 1
(a) + α and + β
α β
(b) α2 and β 2
1 1
13. If α and β are roots of 2x2 − 7x + 3 = 0, find a quadratic equation with roots and 2 .
α2 β
14. Find constants A, B, and C such that:
2x2 + 6x + 5 ≡ A(x + B)2 + C
Hence find the minimum value and the value of x that gives this minimum.
15. Given that α and β are roots of 2x2 + 6x − 11 = 0:
(a) Find the quadratic equation with roots α2 and β 2
1 1
(b) Find 2 + 2
α β
(a) Express x2 + 16x + 70 as (x + a)2 + b
(b) Hence, find the minimum value and the line of symmetry
16. Write 2x2 − 6x − 1 in the form a(x + p)2 + q, and find a, p, and q.
2
17. If α and β are roots of 4x2 + 8x − 1 = 0, find:
α2 β2
(a) +
β α
1 1
(b) A quadratic equation with roots 2
and 2
α β
18. Express f (x) = 2x2 − 12x + 23 as a(x − p)2 + q
19. Find, by completing the square:
(a) Greatest value of f (x) = 1 − 6x − x2
(b) Least value of y = 13 + 6x + 3x2
20. If α and β are roots of 2x2 − 13x − 4 = 0, find:
(a) α2 + β 2
(b) (α + 1)(β + 1)
1 1
(c) +
α β
α β
(d) +
β α
21. If the roots of x2 − 5x − 7 = 0 are α, β, find equations with roots:
(a) α2 , β
(b) α + 1, β + 1
(c) α2 β, αβ 2
22. Find the equation with integer coefficients whose roots are the squares of the roots of 2x2 + 5x − 6 = 0
23. If the roots of x2 − px + 8 = 0 are α and α + 2, find the possible values of p.
24. If the roots of x2 + 6x + q = 0 are α and α − 1, find values of k for which (3 + k)x2 + 4x + k = 0 has
distinct roots.
25. If x2 + 6x + 16 = k(x2 + 1) has equal roots, find the value of k.
26. Express x2 + 6x + 16 as (x + a)2 + b and find the minimum value and value of x at which it occurs.
27. Find the values of k such that (k + 1)x2 − 8kx + (3k + 5) = 0 has a repeated root.
28. Express 5x2 − 30x + 47 as a(x + p)2 + q and show that it has no real roots.
x+2 x+4
29. Show that the equation = has no real root.
x−3 2x + 3
30. Sketch the curve y = −2 + 2x − x2 .
31. If α, β are roots of 3x2 − 5x + 1 = 0, find:
(a) α2 β + αβ 2
(b) α2 − αβ + β 2
(c) α3 + β 3
