To solve the quadratic equation \((x - 7)^2 = 11\), we start by taking the square root of both sides:
\[ x - 7 = \pm \sqrt{11} \]
This gives us two cases to consider:
- \(x - 7 = \sqrt{11}\)
- \(x - 7 = -\sqrt{11}\)
Solving for \(x\):
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From \(x - 7 = \sqrt{11}\): \[ x = 7 + \sqrt{11} \]
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From \(x - 7 = -\sqrt{11}\): \[ x = 7 - \sqrt{11} \]
Identifying the solutions:
The smaller solution is \(x = 7 - \sqrt{11}\), and the larger solution is \(x = 7 + \sqrt{11}\).
Approximate values of the solutions:
To approximate these values using \(\sqrt{11} \approx 3.32\):
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Smaller solution: \[ x = 7 - \sqrt{11} \approx 7 - 3.32 \approx 3.68 \]
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Larger solution: \[ x = 7 + \sqrt{11} \approx 7 + 3.32 \approx 10.32 \]
Final Answer:
- The smaller of the two solutions is \(x = 7 - \sqrt{11}\).
- The larger of the two solutions is \(x = 7 + \sqrt{11}\).
In summary:
- The smaller of the two solutions is \(x = 7 - \sqrt{11}\).
- The larger of the two solutions is \(x = 7 + \sqrt{11}\).