Quadratic function - x-intercepts?

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To find the x-intercepts of the quadratic function f(x) = -2x^2 + 12x + 12, the equation can be set to zero: -2x^2 + 12x + 12 = 0. This simplifies to -2(x^2 - 6x + 6) = 0, leading to the necessity of solving x^2 - 6x + 6 = 0. The quadratic formula or completing the square can be used, as the expression does not factor easily. Thus, the x-intercepts can be determined using these methods.
Agent_J
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f(x) = -2x^2 + 12x + 12

I was able to express it in standard form and find the maximum value, but I can't seem to get the x-intercepts

I got -2x^2 + 12x + 12 = 0
-2 (x^2 - 6x + 6) = 0

does that mean I need to use the quadratic formula or did I do something wrong?
 
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There is a Homework help zone. But you have:

-2 (x^2 - 6x + 6) = 0

If a product equals 0 at least one of the bits of the product must equal 0. So either:

-2 = 0

or:

x^2 - 6x + 6 = 0

I think we can safely assume that -2 does not equal 0. So now you can solve:

x^2 - 6x + 6 = 0

By using the quadratic equation or completing the square (although it would have been just as easy to use the quadratic equation on -2x^2 + 12x + 12) I'm fairly sure this does not factorise.
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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