document.write( "Question 239343: x2-4x-5=0 \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #175729 by vleith(2983) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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$\"x%5E2-4x-5=0\"$ You need to find two factors of -5 whose difference is -4
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%28x-5%29%28x%2B1%29+=+0\"$ Use factors 1 and -5. Note that you only have to worry about the -5 term in this equation because the high order term x^2 has a coefficient of 1. If that coefficient was other than 1, then you would have to worry about that too.
\n" ); document.write( "once you get the equation into this form, you know that for a product to equal 0, one or both of the terms in the product must be 0. So set each term equal to 0 and then solve for x
\n" ); document.write( "x-5 = 0 or x+1=0
\n" ); document.write( "x = 5 or x x =-1 \n" ); document.write( "

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