A quadratic equation is a multiple-term equation whose largest term is a square, e,g., 4x^2 - 6x - 10. To find the roots of the equation, or the values of x for which the equation is equal to 0, you can factor the equation into two parts using the quadratic formula. The quadratic formula is (-b +- sqrt(b^2 - 4ac)) / 2a, where a is the number before the x-squared term, b is the number before the x and c is the lone constant, with no x. In the example, a is 4, b is 6 and c is 10.