Solving the Equation: (x - 8)² = 36
This equation involves a squared term, which means we'll need to use the square root property to solve it. Here's a step-by-step breakdown:
1. Isolate the squared term:
The squared term is already isolated on the left side of the equation.
2. Take the square root of both sides:
Remember that taking the square root introduces both positive and negative solutions:
√[(x - 8)²] = ±√36
3. Simplify:
This gives us:
x - 8 = ±6
4. Solve for x:
-
Case 1: x - 8 = 6
- Add 8 to both sides: x = 14
-
Case 2: x - 8 = -6
- Add 8 to both sides: x = 2
Therefore, the solutions to the equation (x - 8)² = 36 are x = 14 and x = 2.