Cool math fractal

math image

math image

pre-algebra help lessonsalgebra help lessonsprecalculus / calculus help lessonsmath anxiety survival guidegeometry math artmath and jigsaw puzzlesCoolmath booksother math stuff
math help lessonsmath practice problemsmath gamesmath dictionarygeometry trigonometry reference area
teacher's areaparent's areaCoolmath 4 kidsSpike's Game ZoneFinance FREAKTotally Stressed OutScience Monster
Coolmath Algebra
Solving Quadratic Equations Lesson 1 - A Brief Introduction   (page 1 of 2)
---- This algebra lesson gives an introduction to solving quadratic equations.

math image
Now available: Coolmath Algebra books! Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 covering the Algebra you need from Algebra 1 through Precalculus Algebra (Beginning Algebra through College Algebra)

other Coolmath Books: Coolmath Precalculus Review (the math you really need to survive Calculus 1) and Math Survival Guide (How to conquer math and deal with math anxiety)
line
Graphing Calculator Scientific Calculator << a new window will open for these
line
Actually, we've already been working with quadratics. They are the trinomial guys we've been factoring:

x^2 - x - 6

2y^2 - 8y - 10

What makes them quadratics is that they are 2nd degree polynomials.

(They have a squared guy like     x^2
 		     or   y^2   .)

Now, we're going to be solving equations with them like

x^2 - x - 6 = 0

2y^2 - 8y - 10 = 0

Here's the big official form of a quadratic equation:

ax^2 + bx + c = 0 where a, b and c are just regular numbers like 2, 3, 1/5, 2.7, etc.

Examples:

3x^2 - 4x + 2 = 0 ... a = 3, b = -4, c = 2

x^2 + 7x - 3 = 0 ... a = 1, b = 7, c = -3

5x^2 - x - 6 = 0 ... a = 5, b= -1, c = -6

3x^2 - 2 = 0 ... a = 3, b = 0, c = -2

-7x^2 + 5x = 0 ... a = -7, b = 5, c = 0

It would be silly to ever have a = 0 in a quadratic -- Then we wouldn't have a squared guy!

Continued on the next page

 The printing and distribution and/or downloading of these lessons is strictly prohibited.
line
Graphing Calculator Scientific Calculator << a new window will open for these
line

.....:::::::::::::::  HELP SUPPORT COOLMATH  :::::::::::::::.....
:::::::  link to us   :::::::   advertise with us  :::::::  why we have ads  :::::::

Thanks for visiting Coolmath.com
© 1997-2010 Coolmath.com, Inc.