How do you find the zeros, real and imaginary, of y= -x^2-55x-8 using the quadratic formula?

1 Answer
Jul 9, 2017

See a solution process below:

Explanation:

The quadratic formula states:

For ax^2 + bx + c = 0, the values of x which are the solutions to the equation are given by:

x = (-b +- sqrt(b^2 - 4ac))/(2a)

Substituting -1 for a; -55 for b and -8 for c gives:

x = (-(-55) +- sqrt((-55)^2 - (4 * -1 * -8)))/(2* -1)

x = (55 +- sqrt(3025 - 31))/-2

x = (55 +- sqrt(2994))/-2

x = -55/2 + sqrt(2994)/2 and x = -55/2 - sqrt(2994)/2