Given that kx^3+2x^2+2x+3 and kx^3 -2x + 9 have a common factor,waht are the possible values of k?

if they have a common factor (kx-r) (root x=r/k) then

k(r/k)^3 + 2(r/k)^2 + 2(r/k) + 3 = k(r/k)^3 - 2(r/k) + 9 = 0
2(r/k)^2 + 4(r/k) - 6 = 0
(r/k)^2 + 2(r/k) - 3 = 0
r/k = -3 or 1

Now use the equations where f(r/k) = 0 to set a second condition. That will narrow down r and k.

Of course, it could be that k = a*b, in which case you could have factors (ax-p) and (bx-q) but I expect that is beyond what they want.

To find the possible values of k, we need to find the common factors of the two given polynomials.

Let's factor out the common factor:

kx^3 + 2x^2 + 2x + 3 = (kx^3 - 2x + 9) * A(x)

where A(x) is the common factor.

We can see that the common factor always divides the given polynomials exactly. Since both polynomials have a degree of 3, the common factor must also be a polynomial of degree 1.

Let's assume the common factor is Ax + B:

A(x) = Ax + B

Substituting this back into the equation:

(kx^3 + 2x^2 + 2x + 3) = (kx^3 - 2x + 9) * (Ax + B)

Expanding the right side:

kx^3 + 2x^2 + 2x + 3 = kAx^4 + (kB - 2k)x^2 + (9A - 2B)x + 9B

Comparing the coefficients of the corresponding terms, we get the following equations:

1. Coefficients of x^3 terms: k = kA

2. Coefficients of x^2 terms: 2 = kB - 2k

3. Coefficients of x terms: 2 = 9A - 2B

4. Constants: 3 = 9B

From equation 4, we get B = 1/3.

Substituting B into equation 3, we get:

2 = 9A - 2(1/3)
2 = 9A - 2/3
2 + 2/3 = 9A
(6 + 2)/3 = 9A
8/3 = 9A
A = 8/27

Substituting A and B into equation 2, we get:

2 = (8/27)B - 2k
2 = (8/27)(1/3) - 2k
2 = 8/81 - 2k
(162 + 8)/81 = 2k
170/81 = 2k
k = (170/81) * (1/2)
k = 170/162

Therefore, the possible values of k are k = 170/162 or k ≈ 1.049.

To find the possible values of k, we need to determine the common factor of the two polynomials. Let's break down the steps:

Step 1: Find the factors of the first polynomial
The first polynomial is kx^3 + 2x^2 + 2x + 3. In order to find its factors, we need to see if there are any common terms that can be factored out. By examining the coefficients, we can see that there are no common numerical factors (constants). However, we can factor an "x" term out:
kx^3 + 2x^2 + 2x + 3 = x(kx^2 + 2x + 2) + 3

Step 2: Find the factors of the second polynomial
The second polynomial is kx^3 - 2x + 9. We will perform a similar analysis as we did in Step 1. Again, there are no common numerical factors, but we can factor out an "x" term:
kx^3 - 2x + 9 = x(kx^2 - 2) + 9

Step 3: Compare the factored forms
Now that both polynomials are written in factored form, we can compare them. Since they have a common factor, the expressions inside the parentheses must be equal:
kx^2 + 2x + 2 = kx^2 - 2

Step 4: Solve for k
To find the possible values of k, we need to solve the equation from Step 3. Start by isolating the k terms on one side:
kx^2 + 2x + 2 - (kx^2 - 2) = 0
kx^2 + 2x + 2 - kx^2 + 2 = 0
2x + 4 = 0

Now, solve for x:
2x = -4
x = -2

Since the value of x doesn't include k, we can conclude that the value of k can be any real number. Therefore, the possible values of k are all real numbers.