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Completing the square Note that in all cases of the perfect square,
2

One general form of the quadratic expression is:

if ( a = 1), then c= ()
b
2
2
ax +bx+c
the end term is the square of one-half the coefficient
of the middle term.
Perfect Squares: ( case a = 1)

Consider the Expression below where:

( a = 1, b = 6 and c = 9) Incomplete squares

x 3
2
x + 6x + 9

End ( last) Term

First Term Middle
Term
The incomplete square can be viewed as a complete
square with a portion removed.
If we factorize this expression we get :
2 2 Example1:
x + 6x + 9 = ( x+3) What must be added to 2
to make it a perfect
x +8x
square:
which is called a complete ( or perfect ) square because x

it can be visualized as a square with each side = (x + 3) 4

(x + 3) x 3
3x 9 3

(x + 3) (x + 3)2
x2 3x
x
Solution:

a = 1, b = 8 , c = ?
2

where ( x+3)( x+3) =

=
2
x +3x+3x+3
2
x +6x+9
2 For a perfect square: if a = 1, then
2
c=
()
b
2

Other examples of complete (perfect) squares are:

so we must add c = ( 82 ) = 4
2
= 16

2 2
x +4x+ 4 = ( x+2) Giving 2
x +8x+16 = ( x+4)
2
.. perfect square
2 2
x +10x+25 = ( x+5)
2 2
x +12x+36 = ( x+6)

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Incomplete Squares contd Functions of the form: ax 2+bx+c

In example1 , x 2+8x can be considered an incomplete Any general Quadratic expression in the form ax 2+bx+c
square, where we showed that by adding 16, we could can be converted to a new form a( x+h)2+ k by first
complete the square to create a perfect square). That is: expressing h and k in terms of a, b and c.

2 The formulas for h and k are determined as shown below.

x +8x +16 = ( x+4) 2 eqn 2
Finding h and k

Now if we re-arrange eqn 2, we can see that:

2 2
x +8x = ( x+4) - 16 ax 2 +bx+c ... eqn 1
= ( x+4) 2 42
b 8 Step Action Result
= ( x+h)2 h 2 where (h= ) = =4
2 2
Factor a from the first
1
two terms of eqn.1 ( 2 b
a x + x +c
a )
This is an important conclusion which may be generalized as
Complete the square of
follows:
2 2
the terms in bracket b b
2 ( x+ ) ( )
2a 2a
2 2 2
x +bx = ( x+h) h where h=
b
2
( x + ba x )
2

3
Place the result of step 2
back into step 1 (
a ( x+
b 2
2a
b 2
) ( ) +c
2a )
This is known as completing the square;
2 2
b ab
***************************************************** a( x+ ) 2+ c
2a 4a
Example2:
2 2
Express x 2+12x in the form ( x+h) h
2 2 b ab
= a( x+ 2a ) +c 2
4a
4 Simplify
Solution:
2 2
b b 4acb
b = 12 , so h= =6 = a( x+ ) +
2 2a 4a

x +12x = ( x+6) 6
2 2 2
= a( x+h)2+ k
2
= ( x+6) 36

b
h=
***************************************************** 2a
Example3 5 Compare
2
4ac b
Express x 2 7x in the form 2 2 k=
( x+h) h 4a

7
now: h= = 3.5
2 b 2
4ac b
Giving: h = and k=
2a 4a
2
x 7x = ( x3.5) 3.5
2 2

2
= ( x3.5) 12.25
nb: Students should memorize these two formulas

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Example 4 Example 7
2 2 2 2
Express x +7x 13 in the form ( x+h) +k Express 2x 7x+5 in the form k a ( x+h )

Solution: ( a = -2, b = - 7, c = 5)
b 7
h= = =3.5
2a 2 b 7
h= = = 1.75
2 2 2a 4
4ac b 41(13)7
and k= = = 25.5
4a 41 2 2
4ac b 425 (7)
and k= = = 11.125
4a 42
so; 2
x +7x 13 = ( x+3.5)2 25.5
2 2
so: 2x 7x+5 = 11.125 2( x+1.75)

Example 5:

Express the function 15x x 2 in the form 2 Practice questions:

k ( x+h)
Express in the form: Express in the form:
Solution: 2
a ( x+h) + k k a ( x+h )
2

2 2
1. 2x 6x+1 6. x 2x+3
Using the Formulas: ( a = -1, b = -5, c = 1)
2 2
2. x 7x1 7. 2x + x+6
b 5
h= = = 2.5 3. 2
3x + 2x7 8. 3+2x4x
2
2a 2
2 2
4. 15x+2x 9. 1+ x x
2 2
4ac b 411(5) 2 2
and k= = = 7.25 5. 23x+ x 10. 2 x2x
4a 41

2 2
so 15x x = 7.25 (x+ 2.5)

Answers :Exercise A1
# a h k
Functions of the form ax 2 +bx+c (a 1) 1 2 -1.5 -3.5
2 1 -3.5 -13.25
Example 6: 3 3 0.33 -7.33
2 2 4 2 -1.25 -2.125
Express 2 x 6x 13 in the form a( x+h) + k
5 1 -1.5 -0.25
6 -1 1 4
Solution ( a = 2, b = - 6, c = -13) 7 -2 -0.25 6.125

b 6 8 -4 -0.25 3.25
h= = = 1.5
2a 4 9 -1 -0.5 1.25
2 2 10 -2 0.25 2.125
4ac b 4 2(13) (6)
and k= = = 17.5
4a 42

2 2
2 x 6x 13 = 2 ( x1.5) 17.5
Topic discussions in the math club (forum)

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