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Find two values of b that will make 9 x 2 + b x + 9 a perfect square trinomial.

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You want 9x^2 + bx + 9a to be a perfect square trinomial. Note that 9 x 2 is incorrect and should be written as 9x^2, where "^" represents "exponentiation."

What about a? Are we supposed to find a also?

One way in which to do this problem is to factor 9 out of the trinomial:

9 (x^2 + (b/9)x + a )

Concentrate now on making x^2 + (b/9)x + a into a perfect square trinomial.

x^2 + (b/9)x + a

Take half of the coefficient (b/9) and square the result: [(b/9)/2]^2 = b^2/81.

Then, x^2 + (b/9)x + b^2/81 - b^2/81 + a.

The above quadratic expression can be re-written as

(x + b/9)^2 - b^2/81 + a. This is a perfect square trinomial if

-b^2/81 + a = 0. Solve for b: b^2/81 = a,
b/9 = sqrt(a)
b = 9 sqrt a


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