Question

Please State what the equation would look like after completing the square x^2-17x+42=0.

Answer 1

`(x-8.5)^2=30.25`

Explanation:

Half of 17 is 8.5, so the last term needs to be 8.5²=72.25 in order to complete the square:

`x^2-17x+42=0\\x^2-2(8.5x)+42+30.25=0+30.25\\x^2-2(8.5x)+72.25=30.25\\(x-8.5)^2=30.25\\`

Therefore, the equation would look like
`(x-8.5)^2=30.25` after completing the square. It's easy to solve the rest, so I'll leave it to you as a bonus exercise!