Solving the Equation (x + 5)(x + 4) = 0
This equation is a quadratic equation in factored form. To solve for the values of x that make the equation true, we can use the Zero Product Property.
The Zero Product Property
The Zero Product Property states that if the product of two or more factors is equal to zero, then at least one of the factors must be equal to zero.
In our case, we have two factors: (x + 5) and (x + 4). Therefore, to find the solutions, we set each factor equal to zero and solve for x:
1. x + 5 = 0 Subtracting 5 from both sides, we get: x = -5
2. x + 4 = 0 Subtracting 4 from both sides, we get: x = -4
Solutions
Therefore, the solutions to the equation (x + 5)(x + 4) = 0 are:
- x = -5
- x = -4
These solutions represent the roots or x-intercepts of the quadratic function represented by the equation. This means that the graph of the function will intersect the x-axis at the points (-5, 0) and (-4, 0).