\[
x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 – 4ac}}{2a}
\]
Explanation:
This is the quadratic formula, used to find the roots of a quadratic equation \(ax^2 + bx + c = 0\). The formula gives the solutions for \(x\) based on the coefficients \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\).
Steps:
- Identify the coefficients \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) from the quadratic equation.
- Calculate the discriminant: \(D = b^2 – 4ac\).
- Find the square root of the discriminant: \(\sqrt{D}\).
- Compute the two possible solutions:
\[
x = \frac{-b + \sqrt{D}}{2a} \quad \text{and} \quad x = \frac{-b – \sqrt{D}}{2a}
\]
Without specific values for \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\), the formula remains in its general form. If you provide those, I can give the exact solutions.