We are given :

Step 1: factor the part inside square root
The function given inside square root is of quadratic form.
So let us try to factorise it using AC method.
Here A*C = 4*25 = 100
so we have to find factors of 100 that add up to give -20.
the two factors are -10 and -10.
Rewriting the function :

=
=
=
Step 2:
Now we take square root of the factorised form

= 
Answer : (2x-5)
The answer would be -5 1/4
Although there is (1/2) in the front of the expression, the base is 2, not (1/2). (1/2) is a positive number, and 2 is a positive number larger than 1, so as x approaches infinity, f(x) approaches infinity as well. as x approaches negative infinity, f(x) approaches 3.