Arrange, Then Root

x^2 - 49 = 0 is a difference of squares, so you could factor it. There is a faster way. Move the 49 to the other side to get x^2 = 49, then take the square root of both sides: x = ±7.

Both methods give the same answers, 7 and -7. Factoring gives (x + 7)(x - 7) = 0, and then one factor must be zero. Taking square roots of x^2 = 49 gives x = ±7 in one step.

The first step is the same as in factoring: get the squared term alone on one side. Move the constant to the other side so that x^2 stands by itself, and only then take the square root.