What is the quadratic formula?

The quadratic formula is a critical tool in algebra used to find the roots of a quadratic equation, which is typically expressed in the standard form ( ax^2 + bx + c = 0 ). The correct formula, ( x = (-b ± √(b² - 4ac)) / (2a) ), provides the values of ( x ) that satisfy the equation.

In this formula, ( a ), ( b ), and ( c ) represent the coefficients of the quadratic equation, where ( a ) is the coefficient of ( x^2 ), ( b ) is the coefficient of ( x ), and ( c ) is the constant term. The expression under the square root, ( b² - 4ac ), is known as the discriminant, and it determines the nature of the roots. If the discriminant is positive, there are two distinct real roots; if it is zero, there is exactly one real root; and if negative, the roots are complex or imaginary.

The items in the other options include inconsistencies or incorrect signs in the formula or misrepresentation of the discriminant, which would lead to incorrect calculations in finding the roots of a quadratic equation. Thus,