Question

A student performed the following steps to find the solution to the equation x^2 +14x +40 = 0. Where did the student go wrong? Step 1. Factor the polynomial into (x + 4) and (x + 10) Step 2. x + 4 = 0 and x + 10 = 0 Step 3. x = -4 and x = 10

Answer 1

The student went wrong in Step 3.

After setting each factor equal to 0, the student solved for x wrong in the second equation. To solve for x in the second equation, the student should subtract 10 from both sides. The solutions of the equation would be X = -4 and X = -10.

X + 10 = 0
X + 10 -10 = 0 - 10
X = -10