Solution - Factoring binomials using the difference of squares

Reformatting the input :

Changes made to your input should not affect the solution:

 (1): "x4"   was replaced by   "x^4". 

Step by step solution :

Step  1  :

Equation at the end of step  1  :

  (x2) -  5x4  = 0 
 Step  2  :
 Step  3  :

Pulling out like terms :

 3.1     Pull out like factors :

   x² - 5x⁴  =   -x² • (5x² - 1) 

Trying to factor as a Difference of Squares :

 3.2      Factoring:  5x² - 1 

Theory : A difference of two perfect squares,  A² - B²  can be factored into  (A+B) • (A-B)

Proof :  (A+B) • (A-B) =
         A² - AB + BA - B² =
         A² - AB + AB - B² =
         A² - B²

Note :  AB = BA is the commutative property of multiplication.

Note :  - AB + AB equals zero and is therefore eliminated from the expression.

Check :  5  is not a square !!

Ruling : Binomial can not be factored as the
difference of two perfect squares

Equation at the end of step  3  :

  -x2 • (5x2 - 1)  = 0 

Step  4  :

Theory - Roots of a product :

 4.1    A product of several terms equals zero. 

 When a product of two or more terms equals zero, then at least one of the terms must be zero. 

 We shall now solve each term = 0 separately 

 In other words, we are going to solve as many equations as there are terms in the product 

 Any solution of term = 0 solves product = 0 as well.

Solving a Single Variable Equation :

 4.2      Solve  :    -x² = 0 

 Multiply both sides of the equation by (-1) :  x² = 0


 
 When two things are equal, their square roots are equal. Taking the square root of the two sides of the equation we get:  
                      x  =  ± √ 0  

 Any root of zero is zero. This equation has one solution which is  x = 0

Solving a Single Variable Equation :

 4.3      Solve  :    5x²-1 = 0 

 Add  1  to both sides of the equation : 
                      5x² = 1
Divide both sides of the equation by 5:
                     x² = 1/5 = 0.200
 
 When two things are equal, their square roots are equal. Taking the square root of the two sides of the equation we get:  
                      x  =  ± √ 1/5  

 The equation has two real solutions  
 These solutions are  x = ±√ 0.200 = ± 0.44721  
 

Three solutions were found :

1.  x = ±√ 0.200 = ± 0.44721
2.  x = 0