MATH 120 Study Guide - Comprehensive Final Exam Guide - Wano Language, The Thirteen Chairs, Sin
Document Summary
Completing the square is a technique for re-formatting certain algebraic expressions. In particular, it is useful for taking quadratic expressions like and rewriting them as ax2 + bx + c ax2 + bx + c = a(x h)2 + k. One reason is that it allows us to easily see what the vertex of the curve y = ax2 + bx + c is: it is the point (h, k). The general method of completing the square can be shown like this: y = ax2 + bx + c a x(cid:17) + c. This shows that the x-coordinate of the vertex is h = b. Let"s do some examples: suppose y = 2x2. 2x) 5 y = 2(x2 y = 2((x 1)2 y = 2(x 1)2 y = 2(x 1)2. Factor the coef cient of x2 out of the rst two terms. 1) 5 write the terms in the parentheses as a perfect square minus a constant.
