To use the quadratic formula, the equation must be set in the standard form \( ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \). In this case, the equation given is \( 7x^2 + 2x = 4 \).
To apply the quadratic formula, we need to move all terms to one side of the equation, setting the equation equal to zero. Therefore, we can subtract 4 from both sides to accomplish this.
So the correct answer is: B. The equation needs to be set equal to zero.
After setting it to zero, the equation would be: \[ 7x^2 + 2x - 4 = 0 \] From there, you can identify \( a = 7 \), \( b = 2 \), and \( c = -4 \).