help

This is a quadratic equation.  You can use the quadratic formula, or use the calculator on the home page here:

Then press = or Enter to get:

1x^2+10x=4

Can't you combine the X's??

I'm not very good at ones like this. :l

Solve for x:
x^2+10 x = 4

Add 25 to both sides:
x^2+10 x+25 = 29

Write the left hand side as a square:
(x+5)^2 = 29

Take the square root of both sides:
x+5 = sqrt(29) or x+5 = -sqrt(29)

Subtract 5 from both sides:
x = sqrt(29)-5 or x+5 = -sqrt(29)

Subtract 5 from both sides:
Answer: | x = sqrt(29)-5     or x = -5-sqrt(29)

May I ask why you put 25 in there? :)

Hi Hayley

He put 25 in there because he use the complete the square method to solve this.

You do that by taking half the middle term coefficient which is 10 part of the 10 x here so that becomes 5. Then you square that so it becomes 25. You have to add it to both sides so the equation balance.

ohh, okay!

Great, thanks for telling me! (: