Find the Roots (Zeros) f(x)=(x-3)(3x+1)(x+1)

$f (x) = (x - 3) (3 x + 1) (x + 1)$

Step 1

Set $(x - 3) (3 x + 1) (x + 1)$ equal to $0$ .

$(x - 3) (3 x + 1) (x + 1) = 0$

Step 2

Solve for $x$ .

If any individual factor on the left side of the equation is equal to $0$ , the entire expression will be equal to $0$ .

$x - 3 = 0$

$3 x + 1 = 0$

$x + 1 = 0$

Set $x - 3$ equal to $0$ and solve for $x$ .

Set $x - 3$ equal to $0$ .

$x - 3 = 0$

Add $3$ to both sides of the equation.

$x = 3$

Set $3 x + 1$ equal to $0$ and solve for $x$ .

Set $3 x + 1$ equal to $0$ .

$3 x + 1 = 0$

Solve $3 x + 1 = 0$ for $x$ .

Subtract $1$ from both sides of the equation.

$3 x = - 1$

Divide each term in $3 x = - 1$ by $3$ and simplify.

Divide each term in $3 x = - 1$ by $3$ .

$\frac{3 x}{3} = \frac{- 1}{3}$

Simplify the left side.

Cancel the common factor of $3$ .

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{3 x}{3} = \frac{- 1}{3}$

Divide $x$ by $1$ .

$x = \frac{- 1}{3}$

Simplify the right side.

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$x = - \frac{1}{3}$

Set $x + 1$ equal to $0$ and solve for $x$ .

Set $x + 1$ equal to $0$ .

$x + 1 = 0$

Subtract $1$ from both sides of the equation.

$x = - 1$

The final solution is all the values that make $(x - 3) (3 x + 1) (x + 1) = 0$ true.

$x = 3, - \frac{1}{3}, - 1$

Step 3