Final answer:
The quadratic equation with a discriminant of 40 will have two distinct real solutions because the positive discriminant indicates that the solutions are not repeated or complex.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discriminant of a quadratic equation provides information about the nature of its solutions. Given that the discriminant is 40, which is a positive number, the quadratic equation will have two distinct real solutions. This is because the value of the discriminant (Δ=b²-4ac) informs us whether the solutions are real and distinct, real and identical, or complex.
Looking at an example of a quadratic equation at² + bt + c = 0, we can apply the known values for a, b, and c (α = 4.90, β = 14.3, γ = -20.0), and even without calculating the discriminant explicitly, any positive discriminant would indicate two real solutions.
The Solution of Quadratic Equations using the quadratic formula, x = ± [√(b²-4ac) - b] / (2a), can now be pursued, assured that the solutions will be real numbers.