Think of this as a discriminant question. For a quadratic equation ax^2 + bx + c = 0, first identify a = 1, b = 6, and c = 8. Now calculate D = b^2 - 4ac = (6)^2 - 4(1)(8) = 4. Since D > 0, the equation has two distinct real roots. Because this positive discriminant is a perfect square, the roots would also be rational.