Find the discriminant.

2w2+4w+2=0
How many real solutions does the equation have?

1 answer

To find the discriminant of the quadratic equation \(2w^2 + 4w + 2 = 0\), we can use the formula for the discriminant, \(D\), which is given by:

\[ D = b^2 - 4ac \]

where \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) are the coefficients from the standard form of a quadratic equation \(ax^2 + bx + c = 0\).

For the equation \(2w^2 + 4w + 2 = 0\):

  • \(a = 2\)
  • \(b = 4\)
  • \(c = 2\)

Now, we can substitute these values into the discriminant formula:

\[ D = (4)^2 - 4(2)(2) \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ D = 16 - 16 \] \[ D = 0 \]

The discriminant \(D\) is \(0\).

When the discriminant is:

  • \(D > 0\): there are two distinct real solutions.
  • \(D = 0\): there is exactly one real solution (a repeated root).
  • \(D < 0\): there are no real solutions.

Since the discriminant is \(0\), the equation \(2w^2 + 4w + 2 = 0\) has exactly one real solution.