How do you solve 7x^2=-21?

2 Answers
May 25, 2017

See a solution process below:

Explanation:

First, divide each side of the equation by color(red)(7) to isolate the x^2 term while keeping the equation balanced:

(7x^2)/color(red)(7) = -21/color(red)(7)

(color(red)(cancel(color(black)(7)))x^2)/cancel(color(red)(7)) = -3

x^2 = -3

Next, we would take the square root of each side of the equation to solve for x while keeping the equation balanced.

However, there is no Real solution for the square root of a negative number, in this case the sqrt(-3)

Therefore, there is no real solution or the solution set is the empty or null set: {O/}

May 25, 2017

No real solutions but rather, two complex solution : x=isqrt3,x=-isqrt3

Explanation:

Divide 7 to both sides;

cancel(7/7)x^2=-21/7

x^2=-3

sqrt(x^2)=sqrt(-3 (Apply the square root property)

x=+-sqrt(-3)

There are no "real solutions" since the number inside the radical is negative but there are two "complex" solutions:

We can rewrite the expression above as:

x=sqrt(-1)*sqrt3, x=-sqrt(-1)*sqrt3

*Recall that sqrt-1=i

Therefore we can simplify the expression as:

x=isqrt3,x=-isqrt3 (This is our final answer)