Solve the following quadratic equation using the perfect square trinomial pattern: x^2 - 16x + 64 = 0

1 answer

To solve the quadratic equation \( x^2 - 16x + 64 = 0 \) using the perfect square trinomial pattern, we first identify if the equation can be expressed as a perfect square.

The general form of a perfect square trinomial is:

\[ (a - b)^2 = a^2 - 2ab + b^2 \]

In our equation:

  • The first term, \( x^2 \), corresponds to \( a^2 \) where \( a = x \).
  • The constant term \( 64 \) corresponds to \( b^2 \), hence \( b = 8 \) since \( 8^2 = 64 \).
  • The middle term \( -16x \) corresponds to \( -2ab \), so we can verify this:

\[ -2ab = -2(x)(8) = -16x \]

This confirms the equation can be expressed as a perfect square. Therefore, we rewrite the equation:

\[ (x - 8)^2 = 0 \]

Next, we solve for \( x \) by taking the square root of both sides:

\[ x - 8 = 0 \]

Thus,

\[ x = 8 \]

Finally, we conclude that the solution to the quadratic equation \( x^2 - 16x + 64 = 0 \) is:

\[ \boxed{8} \]