Question

Anderson uses the discriminant to correctly find the number of real solutions of the quadratic equation x2 + 4x + 8 = 0. Which explanation could Anderson provide?

Answer 1

As the result of our discriminant is negative, this quadratic equation will have two complex solutions.

Explanation:

Recall that the formula for a discriminant is
`b^2-4ac`

From the given quadratic equation
`x^2+4x+8=0`, we can gather the values of a, b, and c

`a=1\\b=4\\c=8`

Now, we can put these numbers into our discriminant formula

`b^2-4ac\\\\(4)^2-4(1)(8)\\\\16-32\\\\-16`

As the result of our discriminant is negative, this quadratic equation will have two complex solutions.