Understanding Quadratic Equations and Solutions

Quadratic equations follow the form ax squared plus bx plus c equals zero,

and understanding how to solve them is absolutely critical for algebra 2. The most straightforward

method is factoring. You're looking for two numbers that multiply to give you ac and add to

give you b. Once you factor it into two binomials, set each equal to zero and solve for

x. But factoring doesn't always work cleanly, which is where the quadratic formula

comes in. It's x equals negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus

4ac all over 2a. That radical part, b squared minus 4ac, that's called the

discriminant, and it tells you everything about your solutions. If the discriminant