To solve the equation that leads to the solutions \( x = +3 \) or \( x = -3 \), we first need to understand the context of the problem. It sounds like you might be dealing with a quadratic equation or a situation involving absolute values. Let’s break down how we arrive at those solutions step by step.
Understanding the Equation
Assuming the equation you are working with is something like \( x^2 = 9 \) or \( |x| = 3 \), both of these yield the solutions \( x = +3 \) and \( x = -3 \). Let’s look at each case.
Case 1: Quadratic Equation
If we have the equation:
To solve for \( x \), we take the square root of both sides. Remember that when you take the square root, you must consider both the positive and negative roots:
Case 2: Absolute Value Equation
For an absolute value equation like:
The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line, which means it can be either positive or negative. Therefore, we can set up two separate equations:
Verifying the Solutions
It’s always a good practice to verify our solutions by substituting them back into the original equation. For both cases:
- For \( x = 3 \):
- In \( x^2 = 9 \): \( 3^2 = 9 \) (True)
- In \( |x| = 3 \): \( |3| = 3 \) (True)
- For \( x = -3 \):
- In \( x^2 = 9 \): \( (-3)^2 = 9 \) (True)
- In \( |x| = 3 \): \( |-3| = 3 \) (True)
Conclusion
Both methods confirm that the solutions \( x = +3 \) and \( x = -3 \) are indeed correct. If your equation differs from these examples, feel free to share it, and I can help you work through it specifically. Understanding the principles behind solving equations will make it easier to tackle similar problems in the future!