Let's solve the equation:
\[ 2x - x^2 = -8 \]
Step 1: Rewrite the equation in standard quadratic form:
\[ -x^2 + 2x + 8 = 0 \]
Multiply both sides by -1 to make the coefficient of \(x^2\) positive:
\[ x^2 - 2x - 8 = 0 \]
Step 2: Solve the quadratic equation using the quadratic formula:
\[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \]
where \(a=1\), \(b=-2\), and \(c=-8\).
Step 3: Calculate the discriminant:
\[ D = b^2 - 4ac = (-2)^2 - 4 \times 1 \times (-8) = 4 + 32 = 36 \]
Step 4: Find the roots:
\[ x = \frac{-(-2) \pm \sqrt{36}}{2 \times 1} = \frac{2 \pm 6}{2} \]
So,
\[ x = \frac{2 + 6}{2} = \frac{8}{2} = 4 \]
and
\[ x = \frac{2 - 6}{2} = \frac{-4}{2} = -2 \]
Final answer:
\[ x = 4 \quad \text{or} \quad x = -2 \]