Introduction

A quadratic equation is one which can be written in the form $a{x}^2+bx+c=0$ where $a$ , $b$ and $c$ are numbers, $a\ne 0$ , and $x$ is the unknown whose value(s) we wish to find. In this Section we describe several ways in which quadratic equations can be solved.

Prerequisites

• be able to solve linear equations

Learning Outcomes

• recognise a quadratic equation
• solve a quadratic equation by factorisation
• solve a quadratic equation using the standard formula
• solve a quadratic equation by completing the square
• interpret the solution of a quadratic equation graphically