How do you complete the square to solve 0=9x2+6x8?

1 Answer
May 23, 2015

0=9x2+6x8=9x2+6x+118

=(3x+1)29

Add 9 to both ends to get:

(3x+1)2=9

So

3x+1=±9=±3

Subtract 1 from both sides to get:

3x=1±3

Divide both sides by 3 to get:

x=13±1

That is x=43 or x=23

In general ax2+bx+c=a(x+b2a)2+(cb24a)