In the xy-plane, a line with equation for some constant intersects a parabola at exactly one point. If the parabola has equation , what is the value of ?
Correct answer: 20.25 or 81/4
Explanation
The correct answer is . The given linear equation is . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Substituting for in the equation of the parabola yields . Adding and to both sides of this equation yields . Since it’s given that the line and the parabola intersect at exactly one point, the equation must have exactly one solution. An equation of the form , where , , and are constants, has exactly one solution when the discriminant, , is equal to . In the equation , where , , and , the discriminant is . Setting the discriminant equal to yields , or . Adding to both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Note that 81/4 and 20.25 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.
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