Completing the square

[leahhyson]

So I have to make (x+4)^2 into a trinomial by completing the square... I learned this before but I don't remember how. I googled it but nothing that came up helped. Can anyone refresh my memory? I remember i have to divide something in half and something else... I don't know. Help me please and thank you!

 

[Aladdin]

I googled it but nothing that came up helped. !

C'mon ~ Google will give you billions of helpfull websites.

Try this : http://www.jamesbrennan.org/algebra/quadratics/Completing the Square.htm

 

[Mrspi]

So I have to make (x+4)^2 into a trinomial by completing the square... I learned this before but I don't remember how. I googled it but nothing that came up helped. Can anyone refresh my memory? I remember i have to divide something in half and something else... I don't know. Help me please and thank you!

The "normal" method for turning (x + 4)[sup:3vwsrm6m]2[/sup:3vwsrm6m] into a trinomial is to do the indicated multiplication. Remember that squaring a number or an expression means to multiply that number or expression times itself.

So, (x + 4)[sup:3vwsrm6m]2[/sup:3vwsrm6m] means (x + 4)*(x + 4).

To perform this multiplication, multiply each term in the first set of parentheses by each term in the second set of parentheses:

x*x + x*4 + 4*x + 4*4
x[sup:3vwsrm6m]2[/sup:3vwsrm6m] + 4x + 4x + 16

Now, combine like terms:

x[sup:3vwsrm6m]2[/sup:3vwsrm6m] + 8x + 16

There's the trinomial which is equivalent to (x + 4)[sup:3vwsrm6m]2[/sup:3vwsrm6m]

 

[wjm11]

I have to make (x+4)^2 into a trinomial by completing the square

You cannot make (x+4)^2 into a trinomial by "completing the square," you can make it into a trinomial simply by "expanding" it:

(x+4)^2 = (x+4)(x+4) = ?

Completing the square is a different procedure.