📚 Solving Quadratic Equations for IGCSE Mathematics | IGCSE 数学二次方程求解
ometry, and in modelling problems about area, speed and profit. Any equation that can be rearranged into the form ax² + bx + c = 0, where a, b and c are constants and a ≠ 0, is a quadratic equation. This article walks through every solution method you need - factorising, completing the square, the quadratic formula and reading roots from a graph - together with the discriminant, the errors examiners see most often, and the examroom strategies that protect your marks.
二次方程是 IGCSE 数学代数部分的主干内容,它出现在代数计算题、图像题、坐标几何题,以及关于面积、速度和利润的实际建模题中。任何能整理成 ax² + bx + c = 0(其中 a、b、c 是常数且 a ≠ 0)形式的方程都是二次方程。本文将完整讲解你需要掌握的每一种解法——因式分解法、配方法、二次公式以及从图像上读取根——同时还会涉及判别式、考官最常看到的错误,以及能在考场上保住分数的答题策略。
1. What Is a Quadratic Equation? | 什么是二次方程
ariable is 2. The standard form is ax² + bx + c = 0, where a, b and c are constants and a ≠ 0. If a = 0 the x² term disappears and the equation becomes linear rather than quadratic. For example, x² − 5x + 6 = 0 and 2x² + 3x − 2 = 0 are quadratic equations.
二次方程是次数为 2 的多项式方程。在 IGCSE 中,它通常只含有一个变量,一般是 x,而且这个变量的最高次数是 2。标准形式为 ax² + bx + c = 0,其中 a、b、c 是常数且 a ≠ 0。如果 a = 0,x² 项就会消失,方程就变成一次方程而不是二次方程。例如 x² − 5x + 6 = 0 和 2x² + 3x − 2 = 0 都是二次方程。
The word 'quadratic' comes from the Latin 'quadratus' o called roots or zeros, and on a graph they are the x-intercepts of the curve y = ax² + bx + c.
'quadratic' 一词来自拉丁文 'quadratus',意思是平方,因为变量被平方了。二次方程的解就是能使方程成立的 x 值,它们也被称为根或零点;在图像上,它们就是曲线 y = ax² + bx + c 与 x 轴的交点。
| Feature | 特征 | Linear | 一次方程 | Quadratic | 二次方程 |
| Standard form | 标准形式 | mx + c = 0 | ax² + bx + c = 0 (a ≠ 0) |
| Highest power | 最高次数 | 1 | 2 |
| Number of roots | 根的个数 | Always 1 | 恒为 1 个 | Up to 2 | 最多 2 个 |
| Graph shape | 图像形状 | Straight line | 直线 | Parabola | 抛物线 |
2. Standard Form and Key Terms | 标准形式与关键术语
simplify like terms, and write the x² term first, then the x term, then the constant. This makes factorising, completing the square, and identifying a, b and c much easier.
解题之前,一定要先把方程整理成标准形式 ax² + bx + c = 0。把所有项移到一边,合并同类项,并按照先 x² 项、再 x 项、最后常数项的顺序书写。这样在因式分解、配方以及确定 a、b、c 时会容易得多。
are the solutions of the equation, and they correspond to the x-intercepts of the graph y = ax² + bx + c.
系数 a 是 x² 前面的数,b 是 x 前面的数,c 是常数项。当 a = 1 时,这个二次式称为首一二次式。根就是方程的解,它们对应图像 y = ax² + bx + c 与 x 轴的交点。
ever write down a, b and c until the equation is in standard form, and always keep the minus sign attached to the number.
符号极其重要。在 3x² − 7x + 2 = 0 中,a = 3,b = −7,c = 2。在 2x² − 5 = 0 中根本没有 x 项,所以 b = 0,c = −5。方程没有整理成标准形式之前,千万不要急着写出 a、b、c,而且一定要把负号连带写在数字上。
3. Solving by Factorising | 因式分解法
roperty: if two numbers multiply to give zero, then at least one of them must be zero. For example, x² − 5x + 6 = (x − 2)(x − 3). Since the product is zero, either x − 2 = 0 or x − 3 = 0, giving x = 2 or x = 3.
当二次式能写成两个一次因式的乘积时,因式分解法是最快的。核心思想是零积性质:如果两个数的乘积为零,那么其中至少有一个数为零。例如 x² − 5x + 6 = (x − 2)(x − 3)。因为乘积为零,所以 x − 2 = 0 或 x − 3 = 0,解得 x = 2 或 x = 3。
the middle term: 2x² + 6x − x − 3 = 2x(x + 3) − 1(x + 3) = (2x − 1)(x + 3). Then solve 2x − 1 = 0 or x + 3 = 0 to get x = ½ or x = −3.
对于非首一的情况,例如 2x² + 5x − 3,要找到两个数,使它们的乘积等于 a × c = 2 × (−3) = −6,并且和等于 b = 5:这两个数是 6 和 −1。把中间项拆开:2x² + 6x − x − 3 = 2x(x + 3) − 1(x + 3) = (2x − 1)(x + 3)。然后解 2x − 1 = 0 或 x + 3 = 0,得到 x = ½ 或 x = −3。
ounterpart x² − 2ax + a² = (x − a)². A perfect square produces a repeated root, so x² + 6x + 9 = 0 gives (x + 3)² = 0, and therefore the single solution x = −3.
有三个恒等式能加快因式分解:平方差 x² − a² = (x − a)(x + a),完全平方 x² + 2ax + a² = (x + a)²,以及它的负号版本 x² − 2ax + a² = (x − a)²。完全平方会产生重根,所以 x² + 6x + 9 = 0 得到 (x + 3)² = 0,因此只有一个解 x = −3。
- Factorise the quadratic expression completely. | 把二次式完全分解因式。
- Set each factor equal to zero. | 令每一个因式等于零。
- Solve each resulting linear equation. | 解每一个得到的一次方程。
- Check by expanding the factors back to the original expression. | 通过把因式展开回原式来检验。
4. Completing the Square | 配方法
Completing the square rewrites a quadratic in the form (x + p)² + q. For a monic quadratic the rule is simple: take half of the coefficient of x, square it, add it and subtract it. The general result is shown below.
配方法把二次式改写成 (x + p)² + q 的形式。对于首一二次式,规则很简单:取 x 的系数的一半,平方,加上再减去。一般结果如下所示。
x² + bx + c = (x + b/2)² + (c − b²/4)
ting this equal to zero gives (x + 3)² = 16, so x + 3 = ±4, and therefore x = 1 or x = −7.
以 x² + 6x − 7 = 0 为例。6 的一半是 3,而 3² = 9,所以 x² + 6x − 7 = (x + 3)² − 9 − 7 = (x + 3)² − 16。令它等于零,得到 (x + 3)² = 16,所以 x + 3 = ±4,因此 x = 1 或 x = −7。
2(x² + 4x) + 3 = 2[(x + 2)² − 4] + 3 = 2(x + 2)² − 5. Completing the square is also the standard way to find the vertex of a parabola: the minimum or maximum occurs at x = −b/2a, and the completed-square form shows the turning point immediately.
当 a 不等于 1 时,先把 a 从前两项中提出来,在括号内配方,再乘回去。对于 2x² + 8x + 3,写成 2(x² + 4x) + 3 = 2[(x + 2)² − 4] + 3 = 2(x + 2)² − 5。配方法也是求抛物线顶点的标准方法:最小值或最大值出现在 x = −b/2a 处,而配方后的形式能直接看出顶点坐标。
5. The Quadratic Formula | 二次公式(求根公式)
ys works. It is derived by completing the square on the general equation ax² + bx + c = 0.
当二次式无法用整数因式分解时,二次公式总是有效的。它是对一般方程 ax² + bx + c = 0 配方推导出来的。
x = [ −b ± √b² − 4ac ] / (2a)
The formula must be applied with the equation already in standard form. Write down a, b and c first, then substitute carefully, keeping the brackets around negative numbers. Use your calculator for the square root, and store intermediate values in the calculator memory to avoid rounding errors.
使用公式的前提是方程已经整理成标准形式。先写出 a、b、c,再仔细代入,遇到负数时一定要加括号。平方根用计算器计算,并把中间结果存进计算器存储器,以避免四舍五入误差。
For 2x² − 4x − 3 = 0, a = 2, b = −4 and c = −3, so b² − 4ac = 16 + 24 = 40, and x = [4 ± √40 less the question asks for an exact surd answer, IGCSE papers normally expect 3 significant figures or 2 decimal places.
对于 2x² − 4x − 3 = 0,a = 2,b = −4,c = −3,所以 b² − 4ac = 16 + 24 = 40,x = [4 ± √40] / 4 = (4 ± 6.3246) / 4,得到 x ≈ 2.58 或 x ≈ −0.58(保留 3 位有效数字)。除非题目要求精确的根式答案,IGCSE 试卷通常要求保留 3 位有效数字或 2 位小数。
- Rearrange into ax² + bx + c = 0 first. | 先整理成 ax² + bx + c = 0。
- Identify a, b and c with their signs. | 连同符号一起写出 a、b、c。
- Substitute into the formula and simplify the square root. | 代入公式并化简根号部分。
- Round only at the final step. | 只在最后一步取近似值。
6. The Discriminant and the Number of Roots | 判别式与根的个数
The expression under the square root in the quadratic formula is called the discriminant, written Δ. It tells you how many real roots the equation has without solving it.
二次公式中根号下面的表达式称为判别式,记作 Δ。它能让你在不解方程的情况下判断方程有几个实根。
Δ = b² − 4ac
| Discriminant | 判别式 | Roots | 根的个数 | Graph | 图像 |
| Δ > 0 | Two distinct real roots | 两个不同的实根 | Crosses the x-axis twice | 与 x 轴相交两次 |
| Δ = 0 | One repeated root | 一个重根 | Touches the x-axis once | 与 x 轴相切 |
| Δ < 0 | No real roots | 无实根 | Does not meet the x-axis | 与 x 轴不相交 |
