Complete the square: x^2 + 24x = 17
Identify the coefficient of x. It is 24. Take half of that coefficient: 24/2 = 12.
Now add the square of 12 to both sides of x^2 + 24x = 17
x^2 + 24x + 144 = 17 + 144
Write in factored form:
(x + 12)^2 = 161
Taking the square root of both sides:
x+12 = plus or minus
