16-week Lesson 12 (8-week Lesson 10) Solving Quadratic Equations by Extracting Square Roots
When solving equations by factoring, we showed that an equation such as
𝑥 2 − 25 = 0 could be solved by factoring the binomial on the left hand
side of the equation, and using Zero Factor Theorem.
𝑥 2 − 25 = 0
(𝑥 − 5)(𝑥 + 5) = 0
𝑥−5=0 ; 𝑥+5=0
𝒙 = 𝟓 ; 𝒙 = −𝟓
There is another way to solve this type of equation for 𝑥 that does not
involve factoring; instead we could isolate the perfect square 𝑥 2 , then take
the square root of both sides of the equation to solve for 𝑥. This is known
as Extracting Square Roots.
𝑥 2 − 25 = 0
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16-week Lesson 12 (8-week Lesson 10) Solving Quadratic Equations by Extracting Square Roots
Solving Quadratic Equations by Extracting Square Roots:
- a quadratic equation of the form 𝑎𝑥 2 + 𝑐 = 0 can be solved by
isolating the perfect square containing the variable 𝑥, and taking the
square root of both sides of the equation
𝑐 𝑐
○ if 𝑎𝑥 2 + 𝑐 = 0, then 𝑎𝑥 2 = −𝑐, 𝑥 2 = − 𝑎, and 𝑥 = ±√− 𝑎
- as shown on the previous page, extracting square roots produces the
same answer as if we had solved by factoring
a. 49 − (2𝑥 )2 = 0 b. 49 − (2𝑥 )2 = 0
49 = (2𝑥 )2 (7 − 2𝑥 )(7 + 2𝑥 ) = 0
±√49 = √(2𝑥)2 7 − 2𝑥 = 0 ; 7 + 2𝑥 = 0
±7 = 2𝑥 7 = 2𝑥 ; 7 = −2𝑥
𝟕 𝟕 𝟕
±𝟐 = 𝒙 = 𝒙 ; −𝟐 = 𝒙
𝟐
Example 1: Solve the following equations for 𝑥 and enter exact answers
only (no decimal approximations). If there is more than one solution,
separate your answers with commas. If there are no real solutions, enter
NO SOLUTION.
(2𝑥+3)2
a. 6(5 + 𝑥 )2 − 42 = 0 b. − 13 = 0
3
4(7𝑥 )2 = 20 (𝑥 − 6)2 = 15
(7𝑥 )2 = 5 𝑥 − 6 = ±√15
7𝑥 = ±√5 𝑥 − 6 = ±√15
√𝟓
𝒙=± 𝟕
𝒙 = 𝟔 ± √𝟏𝟓
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16-week Lesson 12 (8-week Lesson 10) Solving Quadratic Equations by Extracting Square Roots
In each of the previous problems, the perfect squares containing the
variable 𝑥 (𝑥 2 , (2𝑥 )2 , (5 + 𝑥 )2 , (2𝑥 + 3)2 ) were isolated first BEFORE
taking the square root of both sides. Keep in this mind when solving
similar problems.
Also, keep in mind that whatever you take the square root of must be
nonnegative (zero or positive). You cannot take the square root of a
negative number and get a real number back, because a real number times
itself is never negative. So an equation such as 𝑥 2 = −25 would have no
real solutions, because there is no real number that can be squared to
produce −25.
Example 2: Solve the equation 𝑥 2 + 4 = 0 for 𝑥 and enter exact
answers only (no decimal approximations). If there is more than one
solution, separate your answers with commas. If there are no real
solutions, enter NO SOLUTION.
𝑥2 + 4 = 0
𝑥 2 = −4
𝑥 = ±√−4
Since the square root of a negative number does not exist with real
numbers, there are no real solutions. So there is NO SOLUTION.
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16-week Lesson 12 (8-week Lesson 10) Solving Quadratic Equations by Extracting Square Roots
Example 3: Solve the following equations for 𝑥 and enter exact answers
only (no decimal approximations). If there is more than one solution,
separate your answers with commas. If there are no real solutions, enter
NO SOLUTION.
a. −4𝑥 2 + 9 = 0 b. (𝑥 − 3)2 = 16
b.
1 1
= 𝑥 − 3 = ±√16
𝑥2 9
𝑥 − 3 = ±4
𝑥 =3±4
𝒙 = −𝟏, 𝟕
c. 51 − 3(2𝑥 − 3)2 = 0 d. 9(𝑥 − 1)2 + 7 = 0
d.
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16-week Lesson 12 (8-week Lesson 10) Solving Quadratic Equations by Extracting Square Roots
1 2 1 𝑥+2 1
e. (𝑥) − 9 = 0 f. 𝑥−2 + 𝑥 2 −4 = 0
1 1 𝑥+2 1
=9 (𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 − 2) ( + ) = (0)(𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 − 2)
𝑥2 𝑥−2 𝑥 2 −4
1 1
9𝑥 2 ∙ (𝑥 2 ) = (9) ∙ 9𝑥 2 (𝑥 + 2)2 + 1 = 0
9 = 𝑥2 (𝑥 + 2)2 = −1
±√9 = 𝑥 𝑥 + 2 = ±√−1
±3 = 𝑥 √−1 does not exist with real numbers.
Therefore this equation has no solution.
𝒙 = −𝟑, 𝟑
𝐍𝐎 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
Keep in mind the difference between equations such as 𝑥 = √25 and
𝑥 2 = 25. The equation 𝑥 = √25 has only one solution (𝑥 = 5), while the
quadratic equation 𝑥 2 = 25 has two solutions (𝑥 = −5 and 𝑥 = 5). If you
are unsure why the quadratic equation 𝑥 2 = 25 has two real solutions
instead of just one, try solving it by factoring.
Answers to Examples:
−3−√39 −3+√39
1a. 𝑥 = −5 + √7, −5 − √7 ; 1b. 𝑥 = , ;
2 2
3 3
2. 𝑁𝑂 𝑆𝑂𝐿𝑈𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 ; 3a. 𝑥 = − 2 , 2 ; 3b. 𝑥 = −1, 7 ;
3 √17
3c. 𝑥 = 2 ± 2 ; 3d. 𝑁𝑂 𝑆𝑂𝐿𝑈𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 ; 3e. 𝑥 = −3, 3 ;
3f. 𝑁𝑂 𝑆𝑂𝐿𝑈𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 ;
