I could use a hand, mathematic lads and legends

[DMurphy33]

Yo, my class is retaking a maths test tomorrow. There’s one question I didn’t understand at all in the previous test, the teacher has yet to go through it, and I could use a hand. First time using a site like this so I hope I’m doing this right. Cheers lads

17x-5x²

 

[Romsek]

I don't see any question.

 

[Deleted member 4993]

Yo, my class is retaking a maths test tomorrow. There’s one question I didn’t understand at all in the previous test, the teacher has yet to go through it, and I could use a hand. First time using a site like this so I hope I’m doing this right. Cheers lads

17x-5x²

Do you mean lassies in this group are not invited to answer your query??

 

[DMurphy33]

Do you mean lassies in this group are not invited to answer your query??

My friend, the lassies are the legends.
Sincerely, a girl attending a girls only secondary school

 

[Deleted member 4993]

Yo, my class is retaking a maths test tomorrow. There’s one question I didn’t understand at all in the previous test, the teacher has yet to go through it, and I could use a hand. First time using a site like this so I hope I’m doing this right. Cheers lads

17x-5x²

You did not pose a question yet - just wrote a function of 'x'!!

What do you need to answer from that function?

 

[pka]

You posted in beginning algebra.
So we assume you are to solve the equation \(\displaystyle 17x-5x^2=0\)
\(\displaystyle 17x-5x^2=0\\x(17-5x)=0\\x=0\text{ or }x=\dfrac{17}{5}\)
If this is an incorrect reading then tell us what it is.

 

[JeffM]

To expand on pka's answer, if you have an equation of the form

[MATH]g(x) * h(x) = 0 \implies g(x) = 0 \ne h(x) \text { or } h(x) = 0 \ne g(x) \text { or } g(x) = 0 = h(x).[/MATH]
This is called the zero-product property. Therefore

[MATH]17x - 5x^2 = 0 \implies x(17 - 5x) = 0 \implies[/MATH]
[MATH]x = 0 \text { or } 17 - 5x = 0 \implies x = 0 \text { or } 5x = 17 \implies[/MATH]
[MATH]x = 0 \text { or } x = \dfrac{17}{5}.[/MATH]