Solve the equation using inverse operations. Check your solutions. In your final answer, include all of your work.

5 - 2x^2 = -15


WRITER

1 answer

To solve the equation \( 5 - 2x^2 = -15 \) using inverse operations, we will follow these steps:

Step 1: Isolate the term with \( x^2 \)

First, we need to isolate the term that contains \( x^2 \). We can do this by subtracting 5 from both sides of the equation:

\[ 5 - 2x^2 - 5 = -15 - 5 \]

This simplifies to:

\[ -2x^2 = -20 \]

Step 2: Divide by -2

Next, we divide both sides by -2 to solve for \( x^2 \):

\[ \frac{-2x^2}{-2} = \frac{-20}{-2} \]

This simplifies to:

\[ x^2 = 10 \]

Step 3: Take the square root

Now, we take the square root of both sides to solve for \( x \):

\[ x = \pm\sqrt{10} \]

Step 4: Final answers

The solutions are:

\[ x = \sqrt{10} \quad \text{and} \quad x = -\sqrt{10} \]

Step 5: Check the solutions

Now we will check both solutions in the original equation.

For \( x = \sqrt{10} \):

\[ 5 - 2(\sqrt{10})^2 = 5 - 2(10) = 5 - 20 = -15 \]

This is true.

For \( x = -\sqrt{10} \):

\[ 5 - 2(-\sqrt{10})^2 = 5 - 2(10) = 5 - 20 = -15 \]

This is also true.

Conclusion

Both solutions check out. Therefore, the final answers are:

\[ \boxed{\sqrt{10}} \quad \text{and} \quad \boxed{-\sqrt{10}} \]