Question

The square of a certain negative number is equal to five more than one-half of that number. What is the number?

Answer 1

-2

Answer 2

x is the number
square of -x
x^2= 1/2 x +5
2x^2 = x + 10
2x^2 -x -10 =0
2x^2 - 5x + 4x-10 = 0
take common
x ( 2x -5 ) + 2 ( 2x -5 ) = 0
(x-2)= 0 ; ( 2x-5) =0
x = 2 ; 5/2