Algebra
How do I use the quadratic formula?
What does the Quadratic Formula help us find? What is it exactly? To put it simply, the quadratic formula is an algebraic formula that allows you to find the x-intercepts or roots of a quadratic equation.
The quadratic formula is a formula that allows you to find the x – intercepts or roots of a quadratic equation.
A quadratic equation can have three different root(s) outcomes.
Now that you are familiar with the types of roots a quadratic equation can produce, let us look at the quadratic formula.
To effectively use the Quadratic Formula, we must know the standard form of a quadratic. This will be used to help you identify the values of a, b, and c.
Use the Quadratic Formula to solve,
Step 1: Make sure your equation is in standard form. Our equation is already in standard form.
Step 2: Identify your a, b, and c from your equation by looking at the general standard form equation.
a = 1, b = 6, and c = -16
Step 3: Plug in your values from step 2 into the Quadratic Formula.
Step 4: Simplify - Solve the Quadratic Formula!
So, the roots are at x = 2 and x = -8. There are two rational roots because the roots are rational numbers.
Use the Quadratic Formula to solve,
Step 1: Make sure your equation is in standard form. The equation is not in standard form, you will need to add ten to both sides to look like this.
Step 2: Identify your a, b, and c from your equation by looking at the general standard form equation.
a = 1, b = -6, and c = 10
Step 3: Plug in your values from step 2 into the Quadratic Formula.
Step 4: Simplify - Solve using the Quadratic Formula!
So, the roots are at x= 3 + i and x = 3 - i, which are both complex roots because you can’t take the square root of a negative number. Thus, in the equation, the parabola does not hit the x-axis.
