Solve the Quadratic Equation: x² + 9x + 8 = 0

To solve the quadratic equation $x^2 + 9x + 8 = 0$, we will use the factoring method because it appears simple to factor.

First, we attempt to factor the quadratic expression $x^2 + 9x + 8$. We look for two numbers that multiply to 8 (the constant term) and add up to 9 (the coefficient of the $x$ term).

These numbers are 1 and 8. So, we can write:

$x^2 + 9x + 8 = (x + 1)(x + 8) = 0$

Now, to find the solutions, we set each factor equal to zero:

1. $x + 1 = 0$ → $x = -1$
2. $x + 8 = 0$ → $x = -8$

Therefore, the solutions to the equation are $x_1 = -1$ and $x_2 = -8$.

Upon reviewing the multiple-choice answers, we find that the correct choice is the one that matches our solutions:

$x_1=-1$ $x_2=-8$