You can put this solution on YOUR website! Given to solve:
.
.
This equation can be solved by factoring. Look for factors of -160 that can be combined to
give -6. If you think about this -160 can be factored to -16 and + 10. If these two numbers
are added the result is -6. Using this information you can factor the left side of the equation
to get:
.
.
If you multiply out the two factors on left side you will get the given equation ... which is
as it should be.
.
If either of the factors is equal to zero, the equation will be true ... because a multiplication
by zero on the left side will make the entire left side equal to zero and therefore, the
left side will equal the zero on the right side.
.
So let's set each of the factors equal to zero and this will make the equation true.
.
First:
.
.
Add 16 to both sides of this equation and you get for x:
.
.
Next set the other factor equal to zero:
.
.
Subtract 10 from both sides and you get:
.
.
So you have two solutions for x ... x = 16 and x = -10. You can check these two answers by
returning to the original (given) equation and substituting each of these answers for
x to see if they make the left side of the equation become zero and therefore equal to the
right side.
.
The given equation is
.
Letting x be 16 makes the left side:
.
.
Next let x be -10 makes the left side:
.
.
So for either value of x (16 and -10) the left side of the given equation becomes zero
and therefore equal to the right side of the equation ... making the equation true.
.
This means that the two answers we found are correct.
.
Hope this helps you to understand this problem and one way that it can be solved (factoring).
.
(