Algebra help needed

[NeoStarO1]

Okay im feeling really dense and stupid right now cuz I know where my error and for the life of me I just can't get the stupid division down for one little tiny section and finish the equation.

As long as the middle term is a perfect square I have no problems at all. but if its not. ugh!

Okay these are

Solving Quadratic Equations by Completing the Square

Ex.1 x² = 7x - 3


Okay I have the entire order of operations pretty much down however im having a slight math division problem in here.

here is what I get up to where it stumps me everytime.

            x² =  7x - 3
   - 7x + 3     -7x +3
___________________________
    - 7x + 3 = 0
           - 3    -3
___________________________
     x² - 7x = -3

Now this where I get stumped. because now I need to take the 7x and devide that by 1/2 which is 3.5 however if i put that in fraction form its the same as 7 so it can't be 1/2 of 7.

Anytime I have a middle term there that is not a perfect square I get stuck at this same place all the time because i need to be working in fraction from from this point on because of the 7.

Do I make sense?

Answer should be

                       7 ± (put sq.root symbol here)37  
                    _____________________________
                                  2

sorry couldn't get the square root symbol code thingy to work. Tried for 20 mins.

Any help at all appreciated.

[NeoStarO1]

okay i keep coming up with 1/2 of 7 being 7/2 and then you square that so (7/2)² so that comes out to be 49/4

So if i take that 49/4 and add that to both sides i still dont come up with the right answer, mine keeps coming out a

-7 square root 46
________________
2

I am not seeing no 37.

[NeoStarO1]

I found 37
I found 37


Whooo hooo!!!!

[vass0922]

LOL

Very good, congrats
Keep at it, you'll get the hang of it

[Mike]

Bleh...Math!

[NeoStarO1]

took me over an hour to find that 37

now im stumped on the next one still.

2x² - 3x + 1 = 0

Answer should be

1 ± sqrt 13
________
2

I keep getting

3 ± sqrt13
__________
2

So I can't figure out what I have done wrong. its close but not close enough.

[NeoStarO1]

This really sucks, it takes me more than an hour to do one lousy problem.

Still don't have this most recent one figured out yet. im all for ideas folks.

[NeoStarO1]

well got those two figured out now im doing something more complex and not coming up with the same answers. grrrrrr

now im doing solving a quadratic equation using the quadratic forumla. :sigh:

Im glad thier is only 2 weeks left. grrrrrrrrr

[ILC]

Neo, you have PM.

ILC

[zskillz]

http://www.sosmath.com/algebra/quadr...mplsquare.html

http://www.sosmath.com/algebra/factor/fac07/fac07.html

i thought those tutorials were helpful... good luck

-Z