To solve the quadratic equation \((x - 7)^2 = 11\), we will first find the solutions by following these steps:
-
Take the square root of both sides:
\[ x - 7 = \pm\sqrt{11} \] -
Add 7 to both sides:
\[ x = 7 \pm \sqrt{11} \]
Now, we have two potential solutions:
- The smaller solution is:
\[ x = 7 - \sqrt{11} \] - The larger solution is:
\[ x = 7 + \sqrt{11} \]
Next, we need to identify these two solutions numerically. Since \(\sqrt{11} \approx 3.32\):
-
Smaller solution:
\[ x = 7 - \sqrt{11} \approx 7 - 3.32 \approx 3.68 \] -
Larger solution:
\[ x = 7 + \sqrt{11} \approx 7 + 3.32 \approx 10.32 \]
Thus, we can conclude:
- The smaller of the two solutions \(x = 7 - \sqrt{11}\).
- The larger of the two solutions \(x = 7 + \sqrt{11}\).
Finally, we can fill in the blanks:
- The smaller of the two solutions is \( x = 7 - \sqrt{11} \).
- The larger of the two solutions is \( x = 7 + \sqrt{11} \).
In summary:
- The smaller solution is \( x \approx 3.68 \).
- The larger solution is \( x \approx 10.32 \).
Note: If you want to express the exact solutions without decimal approximation:
- The smaller solution is \( x = 7 - \sqrt{11} \).
- The larger solution is \( x = 7 + \sqrt{11} \).