document.write( "Question 188758: How do I complete the square if the sum look like this: 5x^2 - x - 2=0 \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #141573 by Earlsdon(6294) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Solve by completing the square:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"5x%5E2-x-2+=+0\"$ To complete the square, you need to have the $\"x%5E2\"$ coefficient = 1, so divide through by 5.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%285x%5E2-x-2%29%2F5+=+0\"$ Simplify.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%281%2F5%29x%5E2-%281%2F5%29x-2%2F5+=+0\"$ Now add $\"2%2F5\"$ to both sides.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%281%2F5%29x%5E2-%281%2F5%29x+=+2%2F5\"$ Complete the square in x by adding the square of half the x-coefficient $\"%281%2F10%29%5E2+=+1%2F100\"$ to both sides.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%281%2F5%29x%5E2-%281%2F5%29x%2B1%2F100+=+2%2F5+%2B+1%2F100\"$ Factor the left side and simplify the right side.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%28x-1%2F10%29%5E2+=+41%2F100\"$ Now take the square root of both sides.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"x-1%2F10+=+%28sqrt%2841%29%29%2F10\"$ or $\"x-1%2F10+=+-%28sqrt%2841%29%29%2F10\"$ Add $\"1%2F10\"$ to both sides of each of these.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"x+=+1%2F10%2B-sqrt%2841%29%2F10\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"highlight%28x+=+1%2F10+%2B%28sqrt%2841%29%29%2F10%29\"$ or $\"highlight%28x+=+1%2F10+-+%28sqrt%2841%29%29%2F10%29\"$
\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "

\n" );