SOLUTION: Please help. Can someone please show me the steps so I can understand how to do this? Solve for a a^2+a-42=0 Factor 72-17s+s^2

Question 237931: Please help. Can someone please show me the steps so I can understand how to do this?
Solve for a
a^2+a-42=0
Factor
72-17s+s^2
Answer by Alan3354(69443) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Solve for a
a^2+a-42=0
Factor it
(a + 7)*(a - 6) = 0
a = -7, a = 6
--------------
Factor
72-17s+s^2
= s^2 - 17s + 72 It's a good idea to put it in descending order.
----------------
The coefficents of the x terms are both 1.
So it will be:
(x � a)*(x � b)
The two numbers multiply to 72, a*b = 72
The 72 is positive, so they have the same sign.
The s term is negative, so a and b are negative.
--> (x - a)*(x - b)
ab = 72
a+b = -17
---------
Look at the factors of 72 and the sum:
1 and 72 = 73
2 and 36 = 38
3 and 24 = 27
4 and 18 = 22
6 and 12 = 18
8 and 9 = 17 That's it.
72-17s+s^2 = (s - 8)*(s - 9)

RELATED QUESTIONS
Solve for x a) x^(2/3) -x^(1/3) - 2 = 0 Can you please help me out? Thanks so much... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)

Can someone please show me the steps on how to do this, so I can understand how to do... (answered by Fombitz)

Solve for x a) x(x-2)(x+5) = 0 Can you please help me out? Thanks so much in... (answered by josgarithmetic)

Solve for x a) x^2+ 2yx _ y^2 - 16 = 0 Can you please help me out? Thanks so much in... (answered by tommyt3rd)

1. Solve for x a) (x-1) / (x+2) + (x+7) / (x-40) = 0 Can you please help me out?... (answered by stanbon)

Solve for x a) x(x-2)(x+5) = 0 Can you please help me out? Thanks so much in advance:) (answered by stanbon,josmiceli)

Hello. Can you please help me? I need to solve this equation.. x^6-9x^4-x^2+9=0... (answered by nerdybill,rapaljer)

Solve for x a)tx^2+(3-2t)x-6 = 0 Can you please help me out? Thanks so much in... (answered by josgarithmetic)

Solve a) logx = 2 Can you please help me out? Thanks so much in advance:) Can you also (answered by lwsshak3)