A parabola cuts the x-axis at x = -5 and x = 3. What is the average of its zeroes?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: -1
The zeroes of the quadratic polynomial are -5 and 3. Their average is calculated by adding the two zeroes and dividing by 2: (-5 + 3)/2 = -2/2 = -1. Geometrically, this average is the x-coordinate of the midpoint of the two x-intercepts and the axis of symmetry of the parabola. Therefore, -1 is correct; 1, -2, and 8 result from incorrect arithmetic or from using the difference instead of the average.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct answer to this question?
-1
Why is this the correct answer?
The zeroes of the quadratic polynomial are -5 and 3. Their average is calculated by adding the two zeroes and dividing by 2: (-5 + 3)/2 = -2/2 = -1. Geometrically, this average is the x-coordinate of the midpoint of the two x-intercepts and the axis of symmetry of the parabola. Therefore, -1 is correct; 1, -2, and 8 result from incorrect arithmetic or from using the difference instead of the average.
Which subject and chapter does this question cover?
This is a Class 10 Mathematics question. Chapter: Polynomials. Topic: Geometrical meaning of the zeroes of a polynomial..
Student feedback
Was this question useful?
👍 0 Helpful 👎 0 Not helpful
Yes 0% No 0%
0 responsesStudent Reviews
No published reviews yet.
