I did my non calculator maths today and one of the questions was this or something along these lines.

Show that 9 + (11 / (x + 2)) = 28 / (x + 2) can be simplified into (9x * 9x) + 29x - 28 = 0


i was then told to find out x which i did and came out with something like x = -4 or 7/9 but
i reckon on that was a typo because i can't answer it and no one else i spoke to could. I am gonna ask my maths teacher about it and thought some of you might know.

I know the method and all but i really cant see a way to do it and i want to know what i did wrong.

9 + (11 / (x + 2)) = 28 / (x + 2)
(9+(11/(x+2)))(x+2)=28
9(x+2)+11=28
9x+29=28
x=-1/9

There is something wrong with the question.

If you look at the penultimate line of my working you have;

9x+29-28=0
Where it should be
(9x)^2+29x-28=0

If it was actually 9x^2 (which seems more likely), you could get this answer by timesing the whole original LHS by x.

I think there was either a typo or you've got the question wrong.

Quick thing to note, you end up with an x^2 term in the "simplified" one, but no x^2s exist in the original, just 1/(x+2), there is no way that would ever give an x^2.

Heh, how naive. Also, very offtopic and unconstructive.

I don't think I will ever use mathematics like I learned in school.

For the past few years, I've just been doing simple adding, subtracting, multiplying, and division. Sometimes I string various things together.

Amazingly enough, I use it all the time. Well, more advanced versions of it, but hte basic principle is still the same.

Any science/engineering career will probably need it.

I know little maths, but I will say BACK ON TOPIC. Discuss the question posted originally please, people.

I <LOOK MA, I AM SWEARING> knew it was wrong, what the hell do i do about it then.

Complain to the school about it?

They are bound to have a spare paper lying around that you can look at.

it was the proper GCSE paper

Yes, don't the staff have a copy for themselves after the exam? Unless there are more people at your school who need to take it.

actual mistakes will be pickedy review boards and fixed accordingly

everyone gets +5 marks.

Get hold of a spare paper (your school will have one, almost certainly). Check you got the question right then perhaps talk to the school about complaining to the exam board to make sure they pick it up (though as Si says, they should pick it up anyway)

I would imagine they will either discard the question completely (the score you get at the end is standardised anyway, 90% doesn't mean you got 90% of the marks) or give marks to those who attempted the question in the correct way.