How do you solve -10n^2-10=470?

1 Answer
Rachel
Jan 26, 2017

n=+-4isqrt3

Explanation:

If we start with -10n^2-10=470, our first step is to isolate the variable (n). To do that, we add 10 to both sides, giving us: -10n^2=480. If we divide by -10 on both sides we get n^2=-48. We want to solve for n, not n^2, so we need to "undo" the square by square-rooting it. What we do on one side, we must do to the other side, so we have sqrt(n^2)=+-sqrt(-48) or n=+-sqrt(-48).

We can rewrite sqrt(-48) as sqrt(-1)*sqrt(48). sqrt(-1) is i, and sqrt48 can be simplified to 4sqrt3.

Putting it all together, we get n=+-4isqrt3

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