Question #N889
If $x^2 + 2x + 1 = 4$, what is the value of $x$?
A. 1
B. 2
C. -1
D. -3
Correct Answer is: C
The equation is a perfect square trinomial: $(x+1)^2 = 4$. Taking the square root of both sides gives $x+1 = \pm 2$. Solving for x, we get $x = 1 \pm 2$, which means $x = 3$ or $x = -1$. The question asks for the value of x, so the answer is -1.