Q. Each of a and b can take values 1 or 2 with equal probabilty. The probability that the equation ax2+bx+1=0 has real roots, is equal to
Determine Real Roots Condition: We need to determine the conditions under which the quadratic equationax2+bx+1=0 has real roots. For a quadratic equation ax2+bx+c=0, the discriminant (Δ) is given by Δ=b2−4ac. Real roots exist if and only if the discriminant is greater than or equal to zero (Δ≥0).
Calculate Discriminant: Let's calculate the discriminant for the given equation: Δ=b2−4⋅a⋅1. Since a and b can each be 1 or 2, we have four possible combinations for (a,b): (1,1), (1,2), (2,1), and (2,2).
Check Combinations: For each combination, we will calculate the discriminant and check if it is non-negative:1. For (a,b)=(1,1): Δ=12−4⋅1⋅1=1−4=−3, which is less than 0.2. For (a,b)=(1,2): Δ=22−4⋅1⋅1=4−4=0, which is equal to 0.3. For (a,b)=(2,1): Δ=12−4⋅2⋅1=1−8=−7, which is less than 0.4. For (a,b)=(2,2): Δ=12−4⋅1⋅1=1−4=−30, which is less than 0.
Identify Real Roots: Out of the four combinations, only one combination (1,2) results in a non-negative discriminant, which means the equation has real roots in this case.
Calculate Probability: Since each of a and b can take values 1 or 2 with equal probability, each combination has an equal probability of 41. Therefore, the probability that the equation has real roots is the probability of the single combination that allows for real roots, which is 41.
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