document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=943223>Question 943223</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Hello,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Can someone help me with this \"Completing the Square\" problem?\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "I know there's a way of solving expressions that have a negative \"x\" squared, but I would really like someone to explain the solution using the \"(x-h)^2=p\" form.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "This is the problem, thank you in advance:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"Solve by completing the square: -4x^2+3x+7=0\" </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #575044 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=josmiceli><B>josmiceli(19441)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=josmiceli><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/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=josmiceli><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=575044\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I can show you the way I do it<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+-4x%5E2+%2B+3x+%2B+7+=+0+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+-4x%5E2+%2B+3x+%2B+7+=+0+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Subtract <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+7+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+7+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > from both sides<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+-4x%5E2+%2B+3x+=+-7+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+-4x%5E2+%2B+3x+=+-7+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Divide both sides by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+-4+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+-4+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5E2+-%28+3%2F4+%29%2Ax+=+%28-7%29%2F%28-4%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5E2+-%28+3%2F4+%29%2Ax+=+%28-7%29%2F%28-4%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5E2+-%28+3%2F4+%29%2Ax+=+7%2F4+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5E2+-%28+3%2F4+%29%2Ax+=+7%2F4+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Take <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+1%2F2+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+1%2F2+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > of the coefficient of the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > term, then square it, then add it<BR>\n" );
document.write( "to both sides<BR>\n" );
document.write( "-----------------------------------<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5E2+-%283%2F4%29%2Ax+%2B+%28-3%2F8%29%5E2+=+7%2F4+%2B+%28-3%2F8%29%5E2+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5E2+-%283%2F4%29%2Ax+%2B+%28-3%2F8%29%5E2+=+7%2F4+%2B+%28-3%2F8%29%5E2+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5E2+-%283%2F4%29%2Ax+%2B+9%2F64+=+7%2F4+%2B+9%2F64+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5E2+-%283%2F4%29%2Ax+%2B+9%2F64+=+7%2F4+%2B+9%2F64+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5E2+-%283%2F4%29%2Ax+%2B+9%2F64+=+112%2F64+%2B+9%2F64+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5E2+-%283%2F4%29%2Ax+%2B+9%2F64+=+112%2F64+%2B+9%2F64+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5E2+-%283%2F4%29%2Ax+%2B+9%2F64+=+121%2F64+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5E2+-%283%2F4%29%2Ax+%2B+9%2F64+=+121%2F64+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Believe it or not, both sides are now perfect squares!<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+%28+x+-+3%2F8+%29%5E2+=+%28+11%2F8+%29%5E2+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+%28+x+-+3%2F8+%29%5E2+=+%28+11%2F8+%29%5E2+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Take the square root of both sides<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x+-+3%2F8+=+11%2F8+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x+-+3%2F8+=+11%2F8+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x+=+14%2F8+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x+=+14%2F8+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "And, using the negative square root of the right side,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x+-+3%2F8+=+-11%2F8+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x+-+3%2F8+=+-11%2F8+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x+=+-1+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x+=+-1+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "--------------<BR>\n" );
document.write( "So, the factoring would be:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+%28+x+-+14%2F8+%29%2A%28+x+%2B+1+%29+=+0+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+%28+x+-+14%2F8+%29%2A%28+x+%2B+1+%29+=+0+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5E2+-+%2814%2F8%29%2Ax+%2B+x+-+14%2F8+=+0+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5E2+-+%2814%2F8%29%2Ax+%2B+x+-+14%2F8+=+0+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5E2+-+%28+6%2F8+%29%2Ax+-+14%2F8+=+0+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5E2+-+%28+6%2F8+%29%2Ax+-+14%2F8+=+0+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Multiply both sides by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+-8+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+-8+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+-8x%5E2+%2B+6x+%2B+14+=+0+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+-8x%5E2+%2B+6x+%2B+14+=+0+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Divide both sides by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+2+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+2+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+-4x%5E2+%2B+3x+%2B+7+=+0+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+-4x%5E2+%2B+3x+%2B+7+=+0+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "whew! This is a difficult one, but the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "method is always the same\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );