CHEM140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Circular Reference, The Roots, Farad

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31 Jan 2016
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If there is an equation that you cannot solve, first method would be to plot o. This allows us to visualize where the roots of the equation lie and. Write the equation in y=f(x) form and set up columns of x and y values provides insight to the nature of the equation so that it can be turned into a plot o. This seems trivial but is helpful to see where potential roots are when equation is complicated. The roots, however, cannot be read straight from the graph (it"s inaccurate) o. Another method is to use excel"s goal seek and solver functions. In chemical problems, only positive roots are important o. Descartes" rule of signs states that for a polynomial (i. e. f(x)) written in. Ex. ax3+bx2 cx d=0 there is one change in sign (between the x make y=0. x2 and cx term) therefore one positive root.