Given the following perfect square trinomial, fill in the missing term.

x2 − 16x + ____

Question

Given the following perfect square trinomial, fill in the missing term. 

x2 − 16x + ____

anonymous · Answer

im guessing 36?

anonymous · Answer

No, that's not what it is. You divinde the constant of your middle term by two and then square that.

anonymous · Answer

ugh! i hate this. i suck at this.

anonymous · Answer

Don't just say that, just requires some practice. 

Think about it like that

(x-b)(x-b) that is what you want, and you know already (from the problem) that there should be an x^2-16x+____the only way you can obtain a 16 in the middle term is if b is an 8, because it's two times that, two times 8 = 16.

But you can do all those problems very mechanically, just divide the constant of the middle term by two (with or without the minus doesn't matter) and then square that new number to get the remaining constant. Will always result in a perfect square.

anonymous · Answer

ohh okay so...the answer is 64?

anonymous · Answer

there you go (-;

anonymous · Answer

THANKS!

anonymous · Answer

very welcome