Solving the Quadratic Equation: (x+3)(x-1) = 5
This article will guide you through the steps of solving the quadratic equation (x+3)(x-1) = 5.
Expanding the Equation
First, we need to expand the left side of the equation by multiplying the terms:
(x+3)(x-1) = x² + 2x - 3
Now, the equation looks like this:
x² + 2x - 3 = 5
Setting the Equation to Zero
To solve for x, we need to set the equation to zero:
x² + 2x - 3 - 5 = 0
Which simplifies to:
x² + 2x - 8 = 0
Factoring the Quadratic Equation
Now we can factor the quadratic equation:
(x+4)(x-2) = 0
Solving for x
For the product of two terms to be zero, at least one of them must be zero. Therefore, we have two possible solutions:
- x + 4 = 0 => x = -4
- x - 2 = 0 => x = 2
The Solutions
Therefore, the solutions to the quadratic equation (x+3)(x-1) = 5 are x = -4 and x = 2.