Mathias was asked whether the following equation is an identity:
2x² + 10x + 6 = (x+3)(2x + 1) +3(x + 1)
He performed the following steps:
2x^2+ 10.2 + 6
step!
= 2x2 + 7x +3+ (3x + 3)
Step2 = 2x² + 6x + +3+3(x+1)
Step 3 = 2x(x + 3) + (x + 3) + 3(x + 1)
Step 4
= (x+3)(2x + 1) +3(x + 1)
For this reason, Mathias stated that the equation is a
true identity,
Is Mathias correct? If not, in which step did he make a mistake?
A. Mathias is correct
B. Mathias is incorrect. He made a mistake in step 1.
C. Mathias is incorrect. He made a mistake in step 3.
D. Mathias is incorrect. He made a mistake in step 4.