document.write( "Question 137172: solve by completing the square: 2x^2-x-5=0 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #100417 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
2x^2 - x - 5 = 0
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "When you complete the square, you want the coefficient of x^2 to be 1,
\n" ); document.write( "divide the equation by 2, to accomplish this
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - \"1%2F2\"x - \"5%2F2\" = 0
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Add \"5%2F2\" to both sides, leave a place for the value we need to complete the square
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - \"1%2F2\"x + ___ = \"5%2F2\"
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Find the third term by dividing the coefficient of x by 2 and squaring it:
\n" ); document.write( "Here that would be; \"%281%2F4%29%5E2\" which is \"1%2F8\", we now have:
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - \"1%2F2\"x + \"1%2F8\" = \"5%2F2\" + \"1%2F8\"; we have to add \"1%2F8\"to both sides
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - \"1%2F2\"x + \"1%2F8\" = \"20%2F8\" + \"1%2F8\"; find a common denominator so we cam add the fractions
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - \"1%2F2\"x + \"1%2F8\" = \"%2821%29%2F8\"
\n" ); document.write( "We have perfect square which is:
\n" ); document.write( "(x - \"1%2F4\")^2 = \"%2821%29%2F8\"
\n" ); document.write( "Find the square root of both sides:
\n" ); document.write( "x - \"1%2F4\" = +/-\"sqrt%2821%2F8%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "we can extract the sqrt of 4 in the denominator;
\n" ); document.write( "x - \"1%2F4\" = +/-\"%281%2F2%29%2Asqrt%2821%2F2%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "add 1/4 to both sides
\n" ); document.write( "x = \"1%2F4\"+/-\"%281%2F2%29%2Asqrt%2821%2F2%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "or we can write it
\n" ); document.write( "x = \"1%2F4\"+/-\"%282%2F4%29%2Asqrt%2821%2F2%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "Put it all over a denominator of 4
\n" ); document.write( "x = \"%281+%2B+2%2Asqrt%2821%2F2%29%29%2F4\"
\n" ); document.write( "and
\n" ); document.write( "x = \"%281+-+2%2Asqrt%2821%2F2%29%29%2F4\"
\n" ); document.write( "Didthishelp?\r
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