College Algebra CLEP Prep Practice Exam

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If 5x2 + 3 = 2, what is x?

-1/4
1/4
-5/2
5/2

The correct answer is: 1/4

Since the equation is asking what value of x would make the statement true, we must isolate x on one side of the equation. First, we subtract 3 from both sides to get rid of it on the left side. This leaves us with 5x2 = -1. Then, we divide both sides by 5 to isolate x and get a number on the right side, giving us x2 = -1/5. From there, we take the square root of both sides to get x alone, resulting in x = +/-√(-1/5). However, we know from the imaginary number system that the square root of a negative number is an imaginary number, making it invalid in this equation. Therefore, the only real and valid solution for x is positive 1/4 (B). Choice A is incorrect because it does not account for the + or - in