document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=612240>Question 612240</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> please please help me! i know the quadratic formula, but what i dont understand is what do you do if there is no 'b' for the quadratic formula? for example:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "normal formula:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "ax2+bx+c\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "question <BR>\n" );
document.write( "4p2-36=0 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #385335 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=385335\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> If you are trying to solve a standard quadratic equation of the form:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ax%5E2+%2B+bx+%2Bc+=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ax%5E2+%2B+bx+%2Bc+=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "and you notice that there is no term containing x, then you can use the quadratic formula if you just set b equal to zero. For the example problem you gave:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4p%5E2+-+36+=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4p%5E2+-+36+=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "by comparing this to the standard quadratic equation, you can see that a = 4, b = 0, and c = -36. Then by the quadratic formula you can say that:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "and substituting the values we identified for a, b, and c we get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p+=+%28-0+%2B-+sqrt%28+0%5E2-4%2A4%2A%28-36%29+%29%29%2F%282%2A4%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p+=+%28-0+%2B-+sqrt%28+0%5E2-4%2A4%2A%28-36%29+%29%29%2F%282%2A4%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Notice that there is no \"b\" term before the radical in the numerator. Also there is no b^2 term in the radical. So the numerator is just the radical which is preceded by a + and - sign, and the radical contains just the product -4 times 4 times -36. And the denominator is 2*4  which is 8. So the answer is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p+=+sqrt+%28-4%2A4%2A%28-36%29%29%2F8+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p+=+sqrt+%28-4%2A4%2A%28-36%29%29%2F8+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Doing the multiplication within the radical results in :<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p+=+sqrt+%28576%29%2F8+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p+=+sqrt+%28576%29%2F8+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The square root of 576 is 24, so the answer becomes:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p+=+24%2F8+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p+=+24%2F8+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And dividing it out results in:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p+=+3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p+=+3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And don't forget the + and - signs to give you p = +3 and -3.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "But there is even an easier way to do this example problem ... with fewer chances for error because there are less manipulations. Start with the problem as given:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4p%5E2+-+36+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4p%5E2+-+36+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Notice that you can divide both sides (all terms) by 4 to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p%5E2+-+9+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p%5E2+-+9+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then get rid of the -9 on the left side by adding +9 to both sides as shown:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p%5E2+=+9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p%5E2+=+9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then take the square root of both sides to get the answers:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p+=+-3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p+=+-3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=p+=+3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"p+=+3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem a little better.<BR>\n" );
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