Solve LaTeX:  \displaystyle \log_{ 12 }(x + 15) + \log_{ 12 }(x + 15) = 2

Using the product rule for logarithms gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle \log_{ 12 }(\left(x + 15\right)^{2})  and rewriting in exponential form gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle \left(x + 15\right)^{2} = 144 expanding and setting the equation equal to zero gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle x^{2} + 30 x + 81 = 0 . Factoring gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle \left(x + 3\right) \left(x + 27\right)=0 . This gives two possible solutions LaTeX:  \displaystyle x=-27 or LaTeX:  \displaystyle x=-3 . LaTeX:  \displaystyle x=-27 is an extraneous solution. The only soution is LaTeX:  \displaystyle x=-3 .