document.write( "Question 127519: Find the constant term to make x^2-4x a perfect square trinomial
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Algebra.Com's Answer #93458 by bucky(2189)\"\" \"About 
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The process for this involves a just a couple of steps as follows:
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\n" ); document.write( "First, make sure the multiplier of the x-squared term is 1. If it is different from 1 you have
\n" ); document.write( "to factor out that multiplier from both the x-squared term and the term containing x. In this
\n" ); document.write( "problem the multiplier of the x-squared term is 1, so we can skip this step.
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\n" ); document.write( "Second, go to the term containing just the \"x\". Divide its multiplier by 2. Then square this
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\n" ); document.write( "Third, add the squared answer to the terms you were given.
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\n" ); document.write( "Let's apply these steps to the problem. You were given:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2+-+4x\"
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\n" ); document.write( "We can skip the first step as noted above. The second step tells you to take the -4, divide it
\n" ); document.write( "by 2 to get -2, and then square the -2 to get +4.
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\n" ); document.write( "The third step tells you to add the plus 4 to what you were given. When you do that you have:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2+-+4x+%2B+4\"
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\n" ); document.write( "and that is a perfect square trinomial. It factors into:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"%28x+-+2%29%2A%28x+-+2%29\"
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\n" ); document.write( "and this is equal to \"%28x+-+2%29%5E2\"
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\n" ); document.write( "You can multiply out \"%28x+-+2%29%2A%28x+-+2%29\" and you will find that the product is equal to
\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2+-+4x+%2B+4\" just as we made it.
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\n" ); document.write( "Notice that the constant portion of the factors (the -2 in x - 2) comes from what you
\n" ); document.write( "got by dividing the -4 by 2 in step 2 because that's just the way this method works.
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\n" ); document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand how to do problems of this type. Just remember the three steps.
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