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The sum of a positive number and its reciprocal is 17/4. The larger of the two possible values of the number is:

Competition practiceAlgebra

A4
B3
C2
D5

Step-by-Step Solution

x + 1/ x = 17/4

gives

4 x^{2} - 17 x + 4 = 0

, which factorises as

(4 x - 1) (x - 4) = 0

. So

x = 1/4

or

x = 4

, and the larger value is 4.

Answer: A) 4

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