document.write( "Question 202156: Solve by completing the square: x^2+6x-5=0 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #152423 by vleith(2983)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\"x%5E2%2B6x-5=0\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2B6x+=+5\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2+%2B6x+%2B9+=+5+%2B+9\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"%28x%2B3%29%5E2+=+14\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x%2B3+=+sqrt%2814%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+-3%2Bsqrt%2814%29\" or \"x=-3-sqrt%2814%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x=0.741\" or \"x=-6.741\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Here are more words - same thing
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Solved by pluggable solver: COMPLETING THE SQUARE solver for quadratics
Read this lesson on completing the square by prince_abubu, if you do not know how to complete the square.
Let's convert \"1x%5E2%2B6x%2B-5=0\" to standard form by dividing both sides by 1:
\n" ); document.write( "We have: \"1x%5E2%2B6x%2B-5=0\". \n" ); document.write( "What we want to do now is to change this equation to a complete square \"%28x%2Bsomenumber%29%5E2+%2B+othernumber\". How can we find out values of somenumber and othernumber that would make it work?
\n" ); document.write( "Look at \"%28x%2Bsomenumber%29%5E2\": \"%28x%2Bsomenumber%29%5E2+=+x%5E2%2B2%2Asomenumber%2Ax+%2B+somenumber%5E2\". Since the coefficient in our equation \"1x%5E2%2Bhighlight_red%28+6%29+%2A+x%2B-5=0\" that goes in front of x is 6, we know that 6=2*somenumber, or \"somenumber+=+6%2F2\". So, we know that our equation can be rewritten as \"%28x%2B6%2F2%29%5E2+%2B+othernumber\", and we do not yet know the other number.
\n" ); document.write( "We are almost there. Finding the other number is simply a matter of not making too many mistakes. We need to find 'other number' such that \"%28x%2B6%2F2%29%5E2+%2B+othernumber\" is equivalent to our original equation \"1x%5E2%2B6x%2Bhighlight_green%28+-5+%29=0\".
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\n" ); document.write( " The highlighted red part must be equal to -5 (highlighted green part).
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\n" ); document.write( " \"6%5E2%2F4+%2B+othernumber+=+-5\", or \"othernumber+=+-5-6%5E2%2F4+=+-14\".
\n" ); document.write( "So, the equation converts to \"%28x%2B6%2F2%29%5E2+%2B+-14+=+0\", or \"%28x%2B6%2F2%29%5E2+=+14\".
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\n" ); document.write( " Our equation converted to a square \"%28x%2B6%2F2%29%5E2\", equated to a number (14).
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\n" ); document.write( " Since the right part 14 is greater than zero, there are two solutions:
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\n" ); document.write( " \"system%28+%28x%2B6%2F2%29+=+%2Bsqrt%28+14+%29%2C+%28x%2B6%2F2%29+=+-sqrt%28+14+%29+%29\"
\n" ); document.write( " , or
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\n" ); document.write( " \"system%28+%28x%2B6%2F2%29+=+3.74165738677394%2C+%28x%2B6%2F2%29+=+-3.74165738677394+%29\"
\n" ); document.write( " \"system%28+x%2B6%2F2+=+3.74165738677394%2C+x%2B6%2F2+=+-3.74165738677394+%29\"
\n" ); document.write( " \"system%28+x+=+3.74165738677394-6%2F2%2C+x+=+-3.74165738677394-6%2F2+%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( " \"system%28+x+=+0.741657386773941%2C+x+=+-6.74165738677394+%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "Answer: x=0.741657386773941, -6.74165738677394.\n" ); document.write( "
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