Answer
$C$
Work Step by Step
In a quadratic equation, which takes the form $ax^2 + bx + c = 0$, the discriminant is found within the Quadratic Formula.
The Quadratic Formula is given as:
$x = \frac{-b ± \sqrt {b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}$, where $a$ is the coefficient of the squared term, $b$ is the coefficient of the linear term, and $c$ is the constant term.
The expression $b^2 - 4ac$ within the radical is called the discriminant. The discriminant can determine how many solutions there are and whether the roots are real or imaginary.
In this exercise, $a = q$, $b = r$, and $c = s$. Plug these values into the discriminant:
$(r)^2 - 4(q)(s)$
Evaluate the exponent first:
$r^2 - 4(q)(s)$
Do the multiplication:
$r^2 - 4qs$
Answer option $C$ is correct.
