To solve the quadratic equation \(x^2 - 9x + 14 = 0\), we can use the factoring method.
First, we look for two numbers that multiply to \(14\) (the constant term) and add up to \(-9\) (the coefficient of \(x\)).
The numbers that satisfy these conditions are \(-7\) and \(-2\) because:
- \(-7 \times -2 = 14\)
- \(-7 + (-2) = -9\)
We can now factor the equation as: \[ (x - 7)(x - 2) = 0 \]
Setting each factor equal to zero gives us the solutions: \[ x - 7 = 0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x = 7 \] \[ x - 2 = 0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x = 2 \]
So, the solutions to the equation \(x^2 - 9x + 14 = 0\) are \(x = 7\) and \(x = 2\).