Solving the Quadratic Equation: (x+3)^2 - 4 = 0
This article will guide you through the process of solving the quadratic equation (x+3)^2 - 4 = 0. We will use various methods to find the solutions for 'x'.
1. Expanding and Simplifying
First, let's expand the equation:
(x+3)^2 - 4 = 0 x^2 + 6x + 9 - 4 = 0 x^2 + 6x + 5 = 0
Now we have a standard quadratic equation in the form ax^2 + bx + c = 0.
2. Factoring
We can solve this equation by factoring:
(x + 1)(x + 5) = 0
This gives us two possible solutions:
- x + 1 = 0 => x = -1
- x + 5 = 0 => x = -5
3. Quadratic Formula
The quadratic formula can be used to solve any quadratic equation:
x = (-b ± √(b^2 - 4ac)) / 2a
In our equation:
- a = 1
- b = 6
- c = 5
Substituting these values into the quadratic formula:
x = (-6 ± √(6^2 - 4 * 1 * 5)) / (2 * 1) x = (-6 ± √16) / 2 x = (-6 ± 4) / 2
This gives us two solutions:
- x = (-6 + 4) / 2 = -1
- x = (-6 - 4) / 2 = -5
Conclusion
We have successfully solved the quadratic equation (x+3)^2 - 4 = 0 using two methods: factoring and the quadratic formula. Both methods give us the same solutions: x = -1 and x = -5.