Question

what is the first step in solving the quadratic equation $x^2 - 40 = 0$?
adding 40 to both sides of the equation
subtracting 40 from both sides of the equation
taking the square root of both sides of the equation
squaring both sides of the equation

Explanation:

To isolate the squared variable term $x^2$ in the equation $x^2 - 40 = 0$, we need to eliminate the constant term $-40$ from the left side. This is done by performing the inverse operation, which is adding 40 to both sides.

Answer:

adding 40 to both sides of the equation