SOLUTION: Hi, could you please show me how to complete the square to find the standard form of the following equation? {{{4x^2 + 9y^2 = 36}}} I've only ever done this with one variable

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Question 372291: Hi, could you please show me how to complete the square to find the standard form of the following equation?

I've only ever done this with one variable so I'm honestly not sure where to start. Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

Found 2 solutions by stanbon, solver91311:
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
4x^2 + 9y^2 = 36
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The squares are already completed.
---
Standard Form:
x^2/9 + y^2/4 = 1
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Cheers,
Stan H.

Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

You don't have any first degree terms, so completing the square doesn't buy you anything. You have standard form when it looks like:

So divide by 36:

When you have first degree terms, you complete the square on each of the variables separately giving you some thing like:

Which centers your ellipse at rather than the origin as in your example.

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it