Final answer:
To factor the quadratic equation x^2 + 6x - 8, we can find two numbers that multiply to give -8 and add up to 6. The factored form is (x - 1)(x + 8) = 0, so the solutions are x = 1 and x = -8.
Step-by-step explanation:
To factor the quadratic equation x^2 + 6x - 8, we need to find two numbers that multiply to give -8 and add up to 6. These numbers are 8 and -1, because (-8) * (-1) = 8 and (-8) + (-1) = -7. We can then rewrite the equation as:
x^2 + 8x - x - 8 = 0
Next, we group the terms and factor by grouping:
x(x + 8) - 1(x + 8) = 0
Now we can factor out (x + 8), giving us:
(x - 1)(x + 8) = 0
So the factored form of the equation is (x - 1)(x + 8) = 0. This means the solutions are x = 1 and x = -8.