Q. Zhang Li solves the equation below by first squaring both sides of the equation.−4=5z+7What extraneous solution does Zhang Li obtain?z=
Square both sides: Square both sides of the equation to eliminate the square root.−4=5z+7(−4)2=(5z+7)216=5z+7
Subtract 7 to isolate z: Subtract 7 from both sides to isolate the term with z.16−7=5z+7−79=5z
Divide both sides by 5: Divide both sides by 5 to solve for z.59=55zz=59
Check the solution: Check the solution by substituting it back into the original equation.−4=5(59)+7−4=9+7−4=16−4=4 or −4=−4Here we see that the original equation has a negative number on one side and a square root on the other side, which cannot be negative. Therefore, the solution z=59 is extraneous because it leads to a false statement when substituted back into the original equation.
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