Normally you would not use the quadratic formula on such a simple propblem, but your teacher wants you to realize that the quadratic formula works on even the simplest problems: 0 = x² - 9 Insert a place-holder term, + 0x: 0 = x² + 0x - 9 Switch sides: x² + 0x - 9 = 0 Give the x² a 1 coefficient: 1x² + 0x - 9 = 0 Compare that to ax² + bx + c = 0 and get a=1, b=0, and c = -9Edwin