Okay, so first you make f(x) = y and switch x and y. So the equation becomes:
x = y^2 - 16
The next step is to get y by itself. So first you add 16 to both sides:
x + 16 = y^2
Now you square root everything, so the final answer is going to be:
the square root of x + 4 = y
4963.32 is the answer your looking for man.
If you use/make a number line, then you will see that the answer is -18 or a. When using a number line, negative = ← and positive = →.