document.write( "Question 28739: I have to complete the square and dont understand how you do it. Can you explain???\r
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document.write( "Ex1: X squared - 2X-5=0\r
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document.write( "EX2:Ysquared + 8y+6=0 \n" );
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Algebra.Com's Answer #15675 by josmiceli(19441)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! Get the equation into the form (x + a)^2 -k = 0 \n" ); document.write( "expand \n" ); document.write( "[1] x^2 + 2ax + a^2 -k = 0 \n" ); document.write( "[2] x^2 -2x -5 = 0 \n" ); document.write( "comparing coefficients of x \n" ); document.write( "-2 = 2a \n" ); document.write( "a = -1 \n" ); document.write( "a^2 = +1 \n" ); document.write( "substituting in [1] \n" ); document.write( "x^2 -2x +1 -k = 0 \n" ); document.write( "In order for this = [2], k = -6 \n" ); document.write( "(x - 1)^2 -6 = 0 \n" ); document.write( "--------- \n" ); document.write( "y^2 +8y + 6 = 0 \n" ); document.write( "y^2 + 2ay + a^2 -k = 0 \n" ); document.write( "2a = 8 \n" ); document.write( "a = 4 \n" ); document.write( "a^2 = 16 \n" ); document.write( "y^2 + 8y + 16 -10 = 0 \n" ); document.write( "(y + 4)^2 -10 = 0 \n" ); document.write( " |