Exactly one
Exactly two
Infinitely many
Zero
Explanation
Correct answer: B.
Choice B is correct. The number of solutions to a quadratic equation of the form , where , , and are constants, can be determined by the value of the discriminant, . If the value of the discriminant is positive, then the quadratic equation has exactly two distinct real solutions. If the value of the discriminant is equal to zero, then the quadratic equation has exactly one real solution. If the value of the discriminant is negative, then the quadratic equation has zero real solutions. In the given equation, , , , and . Substituting for , for , and for in yields , or . Since the value of the discriminant is positive, the given equation has exactly two distinct real solutions.
Desmos solution:
Note: Graph the equation and count its x-axis intersections to determine the number of distinct real solutions.
Enter in Desmos:
Reviewed and rewritten by CookSAT
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.