What number would you have to add to both sides to complete the square?
x(2) – 14x = 7
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OpenStudy (anonymous):
what is half of 14?
OpenStudy (anonymous):
that is not the answer, that is step one
OpenStudy (anonymous):
7
OpenStudy (anonymous):
find half of 14 and then square it. That's what you add to both sides
OpenStudy (anonymous):
so it would be 196
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OpenStudy (mathstudent55):
To complete the square, you must have an equation of the form x^2 + bx + c = 0, which you have. Just do what was written above. Divide the coefficient of the x-term by 2. Then square that.
OpenStudy (anonymous):
no \(7^2=49\)
OpenStudy (mathstudent55):
You need the square of 7, not of 14.
OpenStudy (anonymous):
ok so the answer is 49
OpenStudy (mathstudent55):
If the equation has the form
ax^2 + bx + c = 0, where a is not 1, then you need to first divide both sides by a.
For example, if you had
2x^2 + 24x + 4 = 0
Then you would first divide the entire equation by 2, the coefficient of the x^2 term.
Then you can continue with dividing the x-term coefficient by 2 and squaring it.
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