Example

Solving (3v7)2=12(3v - 7)^2 = -12 Using the Square Root Property

Solve (3v7)2=12(3v - 7)^2 = -12 by applying the Square Root Property to a squared binomial that equals a negative number.

Apply the Square Root Property:

3v7=±123v - 7 = \pm\sqrt{-12}

Since 12\sqrt{-12} is not a real number — no real number squared can produce a negative result — the equation has no real solution.

This example extends the no-real-solution outcome from the simpler case x2=kx^2 = k (where k<0k < 0) to a squared binomial of the form (axb)2=k(ax - b)^2 = k. The same principle applies: regardless of whether the squared expression is a single variable or an entire binomial, if the constant on the other side is negative, the Square Root Property produces the square root of a negative number, which does not exist among the real numbers. The solving process terminates immediately with no real solution.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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