Chapter 10

Quadratic
Equations and
Functions
Section 1
Solving Quadratic
Equations by
Completing the Square
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 2 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Section 10.1 Objectives
1 Solve Quadratic Equations Using the Square
Root Property
2 Complete the Square in One Variable
3 Solve Quadratic Equations by Completing the
Square
4 Solve Problems Using the Pythagorean
Theorem
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 3 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Square Root Property
2
36 x =
Square Root Property
If x
2
= p, then x = or x = p
. p
Example: Solve the equation:
36 x =
6 x =
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 4 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Square Root Property
Solving Quadratic Equations Using the Square
Root Property
Step 1: Isolate the expression containing the square
term.
Step 2: Use the Square Root Method. Dont forget
the symbol.
Step 3: Isolate the variable, if necessary.
Step 4: Check. Verify your solutions.
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 5 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Square Root Property
Example: Solve the equation:
2
3 150 x =
2
50 x =
50 x =
5 2 x =
5 2 x =
Check: 5 2 x =
2
3( ) 5 2 150 =
3(25 2) 150 =
3(50) 150 =
150 150 =

2
3 5 2 ( ) 150 =
3(25 2) 150 =
3(50) 150 =
150 150 =

Divide each side by 3.
Take the square root of each side.
Simplify.
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 6 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Square Root Property
Example: Solve:
2
(2 3) 10 x + =
2
(2 3) 10 x + =
Take the square root of each side.
2 3 10 x + =
Simplify.
2 10 3 x =
Subtract 3 from both sides.
10 3
2
x

=
Divide both sides by 2.
Continued.
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 7 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Square Root Property
2
(2 3) 10 x + =
Example continued:
10 3
2
x

=
Check:
10 3
2
x

=
2
10 3
10
2
2 3
( | |
+ =
( |
\ .


10 3+ 3
( )
2
= 10

10
( )
2
= 10
10 10 =

2
(2 3) 10 x + =
2
10 3
2
2 3 10
( | |
+ =
( |
\ .

10 3+ 3
( )
2
= 10

10
( )
2
= 10
10 10 =

Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 8 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Completing the Square
The idea behind completing the square is to adjust the left
side of a quadratic equation of the form x
2
+ bx + c in order to
make it a perfect square trinomial.
Obtaining a Perfect Square Trinomial
Step 1: Identify the coefficient of the first-degree term.
Step 2: Multiply this coefficient by and then square the result.
Step 3: Add this result to both sides of the equation.
1
2
2
6 5 x x + =
coefficient of the
first-degree term ( )
2
1
6 9
2
=
2
5 9 6 9 x x + + = +
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 9 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Completing the Square
Solving a Quadratic Equation by Completing the Square
Step 1: Rewrite x
2
+ bx + c = 0 as x
2
+ bx = c by subtracting
the constant from both sides of the equation.
Step 2: Complete the square in the expression x
2
+ bx by
making it a perfect square trinomial. Whatever you
add to the left side of the equation must also be added
to the right side.
Step 3: Factor the perfect square trinomial on the left side.
Step 4: Solve the equation using the Square Root Property.
Step 5: Check. Verify your solutions.
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 10 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Completing the Square
Example: Solve: x
2
6x 7 = 0
Add 7 to both sides. x
2
6x = 7
Continued.
Complete the square in the
expression x
2
6x.
x
2
6x + 9 = 7 + 9
( )
2
1
6
2
(

(

2
( 3) = 9 =
Factor the left side. (x
2
3) = 16
Use the Square Root Property.
3 16 x =
Simplify. 3 4 x =
Add 3 to both sides. 3 4 x =
7 or 1 x x = =
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 11 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Completing the Square
7 or 1 x x = =
Example continued:
Check: x
2
6x 7 = 0
7
2
6(7) 7 = 0
49 42 7 = 0
0 = 0
x
2
6x 7 = 0
( 1)
2
6( 1) 7 = 0
1 + 6 7 = 0
0 = 0
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 12 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Completing the Square
Example: Solve: 2x
2
+ 5x 3 = 0
Divide each term by 2.
2x
2
+ 5x = 3
2
5 3
2 2
x x + =
2
5 25 3 25
2 16 2 16
x x + + = +
Complete the square in the
expression
2
5
.
2
x x +
Continued.
Add 3 to both sides.
2
1 5
2 2
(

(


=
5
4
|
\

|
.
|
2
25
16
=

x +
5
4
|
\

|
.
|
2
=
49
16
Factor the left side.
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 13 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Completing the Square
2
2 5 3 0 x x + =
Example continued:
Check:

Use the Square Root Property.
5 49
4 16
x + =
Simplify.
5 7
4 4
x + =
7 5
4 4
x =
Subtract from both sides.
5
4
12 2 1
3 or
4 4 2
x x = = = =
2
2( ) 5( ) 3 3 0 3 + =
2(9) 15 3 0 =
0 0 =

2
2 5 3 0 x x + =

2
1
2
|
\

|
.
|
2
+ 5
1
2
|
\

|
.
|
3 = 0

2
1
4
|
\

|
.
|
+
5
2
3 = 0
1 5 6
0
2 2 2
+ =
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 14 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Pythagorean Theorem
Pythagorean Theorem
In a right triangle, the square of the length of the
hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the
lengths of the legs.
c
2
= a
2
+ b
2
.
a
b
c
hypotenuse
legs
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 15 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Pythagorean Theorem
Example:
A baseball diamond is square. Each side of the square is 90 feet
long. How far is it from home plate to second base?
Step 1: Identify We want to know how far it is from home plate
to second base.
Home
plate
Second
base
Let c be the distance
from home plate to
second base.
c
Continued.
Step 2: Name
90
90
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 16 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Pythagorean Theorem
Example continued:
c
2
= a
2
+ b
2

c
2
= 90
2
+ 90
2
Substitute.
Use the Pythagorean Theorem.
Continued.
Step 3: Translate
Step 4: Solve c
2
= 8100 + 8100
c
2
= 16200
16200 c =
127.3 ~
90
90
c
Sullivan, III & Struve, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 10.1 - 17 Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Pythagorean Theorem
127.3 c ~
Example continued:
Step 5: Check
127.3 is not used because length is never negative.
c
2
= a
2
+ b
2

127.3
2
= 90
2
+ 90
2

16205.29 = 8100 + 8100
16205.29 ~ 16200
Due to rounding error.

Step 6: Answer The distance from home plate to second base is
approximately 127.3 feet.