Is Josephine accurate?

Question

Josephine has started completing the square on the equation 3x² + 7x - 12 = 0. She has worked to the point where she has the expression x² + x = 4. Use complete sentences to describe Josephine’s steps up to this point and whether or not her work is accurate.

Answer 1

Since I am a math tutor I will show you how to do this problem; I will leave it to you to tell your teacher how to do it in complete sentences.

3x² + 7x -12 = 0

x² + (7/3)x - 4 = 0

x² + (7/3)x + (49/36) -(49/36) - 4 = 0

[x + (7/6)]² = 4 + (49/36)

Answer 2

Josephine is not accurate.

First step of completing a square is to divide everything by 'a' (where ax²+bx+c=0)

Here, a = 3, (the coefficient for x²)

In which case, you would have:

(3/3)x²+ (7/3)x - (12/3) = 0

After you simplify:

x² + (7/3)x - 4 = 0

Next step is to move constant to the right side:

x² + (7/3)x = 4