Question
Question 2 (1 point)
A student is attempting to find the roots for a quadratic equation. Their work is
shown below:
Step 1.
Step 2.
Step 3.
Step 4.
Step 5.
Step 6.
Identify the step the student made the FIRST error.
A student is attempting to find the roots for a quadratic equation. Their work is
shown below:
Step 1.
Step 2.
Step 3.
Step 4.
Step 5.
Step 6.
Identify the step the student made the FIRST error.
Ask by Willis Martinez. in Canada
Mar 26,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The student made the first error in Step 3 by adding 100 instead of 25 to both sides.
Solution
The quadratic equation given is
The method used is completing the square. To complete the square correctly, one must add
to both sides.
Let’s examine the student’s steps:
-
The original equation:
-
Subtracting 4:
-
The student then added
to both sides: However, to complete the square, the student should have added, not .
Thus, the first error was made in Step 3.
Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor
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Extra Insights
It looks like the first error occurred in Step 3 when the student added 100 to both sides of the equation incorrectly. The transition from
to
suggests they mistakenly thought they needed to complete the square. Instead, they should have been focusing on adding 4 to both sides to ensure the balance of the equation.
In completing the square correctly, you actually want to add
to both sides in Step 3, so the equation should be
instead of adding 100, leading to an incorrect manipulation of the equation. Always double-check your constants when completing the square!