To solve the equation \( 18(x + 6) - 18x = 0.5x(x + 6) \), follow these steps:
Expand both sides of the equation.
Left side: \[ 18(x + 6) - 18x = 18x + 108 - 18x = 108 \]
Right side: \[ 0.5x(x + 6) = 0.5x^2 + 3x \]
So, the equation simplifies to: \[ 108 = 0.5x^2 + 3x \]
Rearrange the equation to set it to zero: \[ 0.5x^2 + 3x - 108 = 0 \]
To eliminate the decimal, multiply the entire equation by 2: \[ x^2 + 6x - 216 = 0 \]
Now, you can solve this quadratic equation using the quadratic formula: \[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \] where \( a = 1 \), \( b = 6 \), and \( c = -216 \).
First, calculate the discriminant: \[ b^2 - 4ac = 6^2 - 4(1)(-216) = 36 + 864 = 900 \]
Now, apply the quadratic formula: \[ x = \frac{-6 \pm \sqrt{900}}{2(1)} \] \[ x = \frac{-6 \pm 30}{2} \]
Solve for the two possible values of \( x \): \[ x = \frac{24}{2} = 12 \quad \text{and} \quad x = \frac{-36}{2} = -18 \]
Thus, the solutions to the equation are: \[ x = 12 \quad \text{and} \quad x = -18 \]