Answer
The function has 3 distinct roots (OPTION A)
SOLUTION
Problem Statement
The question gives us a graph and we are required to find the number of zeros the function has.
Method
- The number of zeros a function has corresponds to the number of times the graph crosses the x-axis. If the graph crosses the x-axis once then there is one zero. If it crosses the x-axis twice, then it has 2 zeros.
- The number of zeros a function has also depends on the way the graph touches the x-axis. If the graph touches the x-axis like a quadratic, then there are 2 zeros or zeros that are multiples of 2, that have the same value.
Implementation
The following can be observed from the figure given to us:
- The graph crosses the x-axis twice at x = -2 and x = 2. This means that the graph has at least 2 zeros.
- The graph curves like a quadratic at x = 0. This means that there are at least 2 zeros of the same value or zeros of the same value.
Thus, we can predict that the function must be:
[tex]x^2\mleft(x-2\mright)\mleft(x+2\mright)[/tex]
Final Answer
The answer is:
The function has 3 distinct roots (OPTION A)
