Solving a quadratic equation by factoring

Published on November 11, 2024

Algebra

The equation x^2 - 2x = 0 has two solutions, x = 0 and x = 2, not just x = 2.

Question

true or false?

Answer

The solution shown in the image is partially correct. Let’s break down the problem and find all solutions.
Given the equation:
We can factor out an x:
This equation is satisfied if either of the factors is equal to zero. So, we have two possible solutions:

  1. Adding 2 to both sides gives
Therefore, the solutions are and . The image only shows and misses the solution . Dividing both sides of the original equation by is only valid if . Since is a possible solution, this division step is incorrect and leads to missing one of the solutions.
So, the statement that the image represents the complete and correct solution is false.