Hi there!
We are given the equation w² + 7w + 12 = 0, and we are told to solve it. Well, we can first take all the factors of 12 -
1 12
2 6
3 4
Now, take the sum of each factor pair -
1, 12 = 13
2, 6 = 8
3, 4 = 7
Find which factor pair adds up to 7, and we can see that 3 and 4 add up to seven, while also having a product of 12. Therefore, since the whole equation has addition signs, we can factor the equation w² + 7w + 12 into (w + 3)(w + 4) = 0. Next, using the Zero Product Property, we can set each term to zero.
w + 3 = 0
w = -3
w + 4 = 0
w = -4
Therefore, the solution to the equation w² + 7w + 12 = 0 is w = -3, -4. Hope this helped and have a great day!