reciprocals of the solutions

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3650
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am
Location: India
Thanked: 267 times
Followed by:80 members
GMAT Score:760

reciprocals of the solutions

by sanju09 » Sat Jun 19, 2010 12:22 am
What is the sum of the reciprocals of the solutions to the equation x^2 - (3/5) x = -11/3?
(A) -11/3
(B) 9/55
(C) 3/5
(D) 94/65
(E) 5/3
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha



Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com
Source: — Problem Solving |

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 294
Joined: Wed May 05, 2010 4:01 am
Location: india
Thanked: 57 times

by amising6 » Sat Jun 19, 2010 12:52 am
dude are you sure about question some value is wrong
Ideation without execution is delusion

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 265
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:45 pm
Thanked: 26 times
Followed by:2 members
GMAT Score:760

by mj78ind » Sat Jun 19, 2010 12:57 am
On simplification we get 15x^2 - 9x + 55 = 0 (bring the -11/3 to LHS and multiply throughout by 15).

Now we know if a and b are the roots of a quadratic, a + b = -middle term constant / first term constant and ab = last term constant / first term, thus (a+b)/ab = 1/a + 1/b = -middle term/ last term

=-(-9)/55 = 9/55

B

OA please?

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3650
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am
Location: India
Thanked: 267 times
Followed by:80 members
GMAT Score:760

by sanju09 » Sat Jun 19, 2010 12:58 am
amising6 wrote:dude are you sure about question some value is wrong
such as?
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha



Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3650
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am
Location: India
Thanked: 267 times
Followed by:80 members
GMAT Score:760

by sanju09 » Sat Jun 19, 2010 1:05 am
mj78ind wrote:On simplification we get 15x^2 - 9x + 55 = 0 (bring the -11/3 to LHS and multiply throughout by 15).

Now we know if a and b are the roots of a quadratic, a + b = -middle term constant / first term constant and ab = last term constant / first term, thus (a+b)/ab = 1/a + 1/b = -middle term/ last term

=-(-9)/55 = 9/55

B

OA please?
A quadratic in the form x^2 - S x + P = 0 has S as the sum and P as the product of its two solutions. That is if α and β were the two solutions, then the sum of their reciprocals will be (α + β) / (α β) = S/P. [spoiler]You got it right![/spoiler]
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha



Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com