Many answers possible, example: a horizontal line.
400
Find the roots of x^2-2x-8
4, 2
400
Divide 4x^4 + 3x^3 + 2x + 1 by x^2 + x + 2
4x^2-x-7+ (11x+15)/(x^2+x+2)
400
Use the intermediate value theorem to show that -x^3+2x has a root between -1 and -2.
f(-1)=-1<0 and f(-2)=4<0
500
Explain why finding a zero is the same as finding an x-intercept.
A zero is a value a, where f(a)=0. An x intercept is a point on the graph (a, 0) where 0=f(a) since the point is on the graph.
500
If (x-a) is a factor of f(x), explain why this implies that a is a root of f(x).
This is because if (x-a) is a factor of f(x), f(x) is a product of (x-a) with other terms. When we plug in a for x, this factor becomes zero so the whole product is zero. Hence f(a)=0 and this, by definition, means a is a root.
500
Why doesn't the IVT work if the graph of a function is not continuous? (Draw a picture to explain)
Because we could hop over the x axis all together and never cross it. For example, the graph of 1/x.
500
Find the horizontal and vertical asymptotes of
(x^2+3x+1)/(4x^2-9)