Which expression is used to calculate the discriminant of a quadratic equation?

Question

x=
2a
−b±
b
2
−4ac
​

​


b
2
−4ac
​


b
2
−4ac

2
b−
b
2
+4ac
​

​

Answer 1

The expression used to calculate the discriminant of a quadratic equation of the form \( ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \) is given by:

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

where \( D \) represents the discriminant. This discriminant is critical for determining the nature of the roots of the quadratic equation.

So, the correct answer from the options provided is:

\[ b^2 - 4ac \]