Question

fiona is completing the square to solve the polynomial equation.
x² - 4x + 1 = 0
what should be her first step?
○ isolating the constant 1
○ adding 4 to both sides of the equation
○ isolating the second term, −4x
○ adding 1 to both sides of the equation

Explanation:

To solve a quadratic equation by completing the square, the first step is to isolate the constant term (the term without the variable) on one side of the equation. For the equation \(x^{2}-4x + 1=0\), we need to move the constant \(1\) to the other side. This is done by subtracting \(1\) from both sides (or isolating the constant \(1\)). The other options are incorrect: adding \(4\) is not the first step, isolating \(- 4x\) is not the first step, and adding \(1\) would not help in completing the square.

Answer:

A. isolating the constant 1