You don't. This expression doesn't say anything, and there's nothing there that
limits what 'x' has to be. In fact, 'x' can be anything. Your choice. Every time you
change 'x', the expression becomes a different number.
If this expression were equal to something, then we could get some exercise
figuring out what 'x' must be in order to make the equation true. But in its present
form, it doesn't say anything, so there's nothing to be proven true or false. It's just
a number that depends on what 'x' is.
Chat with our AI personalities
(b-4) squared
2x squared minus 4
-144
The answer is 4 squared minus 2 squared as 4 squared is 16 minus 2 squared, which is 4, gives you 12 as an answer.
Factors of -8 are -1 & 8, -2 & 4, -4 & 2 and -8 & 1. Only -4 & 2 add to -2 so factors are (x + 2)(x - 4)