Solve quadratic equations by factoring
Solve a quadratic equation by factoring to find its roots, including a projectile word problem. Unlimited questions, five difficulty levels, and a full worked solution every time — free.
Try one
Solve the quadratic equation by factoring.
x2 + 5x - 6 = 0
- x = −6, 1
- x = 1, 6
- x = −5, 1
- x = −1, 6
Answer: x = -6, 1
See one solved, step by step
Solve the quadratic equation by factoring.
x2 - 3x - 40 = 0
- x = −5, 9
- x = −8, 5
- x = −8, −5
- x = −5, 8
📘 Worked solution
1x2 - 3x - 40 = 0Set the quadratic equal to 0 — that's what 'solve' means here.
28 and −5 multiply to −40 and add to −3, so: (x - 8)(x + 5) = 0Factor the trinomial: find two numbers that multiply to the constant and add to the middle coefficient.
3x - 8 = 0 or x + 5 = 0Zero product property: if two factors multiply to 0, at least one of them must be 0.
4x = −5, 8Solve each mini-equation for x — those are the two roots.
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