0 = x^2 - 6x - 20

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1 answer

To solve the quadratic equation \(0 = x^2 - 6x - 20\), we can use the factoring method or the quadratic formula.

  1. Factoring the Equation: First, we need to express the quadratic in factored form. We look for two numbers that multiply to \(-20\) (the constant term) and add to \(-6\) (the coefficient of \(x\)).

    The numbers that satisfy these conditions are \(-10\) and \(+4\), since \(-10 \times 4 = -40\) and \(-10 + 4 = -6\). Therefore, we can factor the equation as follows:

    \[ 0 = (x - 10)(x + 4) \]

    Setting each factor equal to zero gives us the solutions:

    \[ x - 10 = 0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x = 10 \]

    \[ x + 4 = 0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x = -4 \]

  2. Solutions: The solutions to the equation \(0 = x^2 - 6x - 20\) are:

    • \(x = 10\)
    • \(x = -4\)

If you need any further steps or clarifications, feel free to ask!