Answer
$x=\pm2\sqrt{5}$
Work Step by Step
$\bf{\text{Solution Outline:}}$
To solve the given equation, $
x^2-20=0
,$ use the properties of equality and express the equation in the form $x^2=c.$ Then take the square root of both sides (Square Root Property) and simplify the resulting radical.
$\bf{\text{Solution Details:}}$
Using the properties of equality, the given equation is equivalent to
\begin{array}{l}\require{cancel}
x^2=20
.\end{array}
Taking the square root of both sides (Square Root Property), the equation above is equivalent to
\begin{array}{l}\require{cancel}
x=\pm\sqrt{20}
.\end{array}
Writing the radicand as an expression that contains a factor that is a perfect power of the index and then extracting the root of that factor result to
\begin{array}{l}\require{cancel}
x=\pm\sqrt{4\cdot5}
\\\\
x=\pm\sqrt{(2)^2\cdot5}
\\\\
x=\pm2\sqrt{5}
.\end{array}