How do you find a one-decimal place approximation for -root3 35335?

1 Answer
Oct 12, 2015

Consider (3+t)^3(3+t)3 to find -root(3)(35)~~-3.33353.3

Explanation:

We know that 3^3=2733=27, so consider (3+t)^3(3+t)3...

(3+t)^3=3^3+3*3^2t+3*3t^2+t^3(3+t)3=33+332t+33t2+t3

=27+27t+9t^2+t^3=27+27t+9t2+t3

~~27+27t27+27t for small values of tt

So approximating...

35=27+27t35=27+27t

Hence

t=(35-27)/27=8/27~~0.3t=352727=8270.3

So root(3)(35)~~3+0.3=3.33353+0.3=3.3 and -root(3)(35)~~-3.33353.3

More generally, to find the cube root of a number nn, starting with an approximation a_0a0, iterate using the formula:

a_(i+1) = a_i + (n - a_i^3)/(3a_i^2)ai+1=ai+na3i3a2i

This is a form of Newton Raphson method. Given a function f(x)f(x) for which we want to solve f(x) = 0f(x)=0, start with an approximation a_0a0 and iterate using:

a_(i+1) = a_i - f(a_i)/(f'(a_i))

In our case f(x) = x^3 - n and f'(x) = 3x^2