document.write( "Question 227736: I need help solving this equation: \"9a=-a%5E2-18\" \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #169202 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\"9a=-a%5E2-18\" Start with the given equation.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"0=-a%5E2-9a-18\" Subtract 9a from both sides.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice that the quadratic \"-a%5E2-9a-18\" is in the form of \"Aa%5E2%2BBa%2BC\" where \"A=-1\", \"B=-9\", and \"C=-18\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let's use the quadratic formula to solve for \"a\":\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%28-B+%2B-+sqrt%28+B%5E2-4AC+%29%29%2F%282A%29\" Start with the quadratic formula\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%28-%28-9%29+%2B-+sqrt%28+%28-9%29%5E2-4%28-1%29%28-18%29+%29%29%2F%282%28-1%29%29\" Plug in \"A=-1\", \"B=-9\", and \"C=-18\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%289+%2B-+sqrt%28+%28-9%29%5E2-4%28-1%29%28-18%29+%29%29%2F%282%28-1%29%29\" Negate \"-9\" to get \"9\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%289+%2B-+sqrt%28+81-4%28-1%29%28-18%29+%29%29%2F%282%28-1%29%29\" Square \"-9\" to get \"81\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%289+%2B-+sqrt%28+81-72+%29%29%2F%282%28-1%29%29\" Multiply \"4%28-1%29%28-18%29\" to get \"72\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%289+%2B-+sqrt%28+9+%29%29%2F%282%28-1%29%29\" Subtract \"72\" from \"81\" to get \"9\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%289+%2B-+sqrt%28+9+%29%29%2F%28-2%29\" Multiply \"2\" and \"-1\" to get \"-2\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%289+%2B-+3%29%2F%28-2%29\" Take the square root of \"9\" to get \"3\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%289+%2B+3%29%2F%28-2%29\" or \"a+=+%289+-+3%29%2F%28-2%29\" Break up the expression. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+%2812%29%2F%28-2%29\" or \"a+=++%286%29%2F%28-2%29\" Combine like terms. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a+=+-6\" or \"a+=+-3\" Simplify. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the solutions are \"a+=+-6\" or \"a+=+-3\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );