Solving with the Quadratic FormulaA series of free Basic Algebra Lessons from Brightstorm online Algebra series.
The Quadratic Formula When we solve quadratic equations, we have several different methods that we can choose from. Using the quadratic formula is just one of those methods and is a method that always works. When solving quadratic equations using the quadratic formula, we simply plug in the a, b and c values into the formula. Quadratic equations can also be solved by using square roots, completing the square, or factoring.
The Discriminant The discriminant is the term underneath the square root in the quadratic formula and tells us the number of solutions to a quadratic equation. If the discriminant is positive, we know that we have 2 solutions. If it is negative, there are no solutions and if the discriminant is equal to zero, we have one solution. The discriminant is calculated by squaring the "b" term and subtracting 4 times the "a" term times the "c" term.
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