To complete the square for the equation \(x^2 - 6x - 20 = 20\), start by rewriting the equation:
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Move \(20\) to the right side: \[ x^2 - 6x - 20 - 20 = 0 \implies x^2 - 6x - 40 = 0 \]
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Add \(40\) to both sides: \[ x^2 - 6x = 40 \]
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To complete the square, take half of the coefficient of \(x\) (which is \(-6\)), square it, and add it to both sides. Half of \(-6\) is \(-3\) and squaring that gives \(9\): \[ x^2 - 6x + 9 = 40 + 9 \] \[ x^2 - 6x + 9 = 49 \]
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Now the left side factors to: \[ (x - 3)^2 = 49 \]
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Take the square root of both sides: \[ x - 3 = 7 \quad \text{or} \quad x - 3 = -7 \]
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Solve for \(x\): \[ x = 10 \quad \text{or} \quad x = -4 \]
Thus, the solutions are: \[ x = 10, \quad x = -4 \]
The answer is:
- \(x = 10, x = -4\)