Final answer:
To solve the quadratic equation t² - 6t - 16 = 0, use the quadratic formula and plug in the values of a, b, and c. Simplify the equation and solve for t to find the solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the quadratic equation t² - 6t - 16 = 0, we can use the quadratic formula:
t = \frac{{-b \pm \sqrt{{b^2 - 4ac}}}}{{2a}}
Comparing this equation to the given equation, we have a = 1, b = -6, and c = -16. Plugging these values into the formula, we get:
t = \frac{{-(-6) \pm \sqrt{{(-6)^2 - 4(1)(-16)}}}}{{2(1)}}
Simplifying further, we have:
t = \frac{{6 \pm \sqrt{{36 + 64}}}}{{2}}
t = \frac{{6 \pm \sqrt{{100}}}}{{2}}
t = \frac{{6 \pm 10}}{{2}}
Thus, the solutions to the equation are t = -2 and t = 8.