How do you complete the square to solve 0=9x^2 + 6x - 80=9x2+6x8?

1 Answer
May 23, 2015

0 = 9x^2+6x-8 = 9x^2+6x+1-1-80=9x2+6x8=9x2+6x+118

= (3x+1)^2-9=(3x+1)29

Add 99 to both ends to get:

(3x+1)^2 = 9(3x+1)2=9

So

3x+1 = +-sqrt(9) = +-33x+1=±9=±3

Subtract 11 from both sides to get:

3x = -1+-33x=1±3

Divide both sides by 33 to get:

x=-1/3+-1x=13±1

That is x = -4/3x=43 or x = 2/3x=23

In general ax^2+bx+c = a(x+b/(2a))^2+(c-b^2/(4a))ax2+bx+c=a(x+b2a)2+(cb24a)