Carcass wrote:
If the sum of two numbers is 19 and their product is 88, what is the difference between the numbers?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
E) 6
Another approach:
Let x = one of the numbers
Let y = the other number
The sum of two numbers is 19....We can write:
x + y = 19... and their product is 88xy = 88We have two equations:
x + y = 19xy = 88Rewrite
x + y = 19 as
y = 19 - xNow take
xy = 88 and replace
y with
19 - x to get:
(x)(19 - x) = 88Expand to get: 19x - x² = 88
Rearrange to get: x² - 19x + 88 = 0
Factor to get: (x - 11)(x - 8) = 0
So, EITHER x = 11 OR x = 8
If x = 11, then y = 8
If x = 8, then y = 11
What is the difference between the numbers?In either case, the difference = 11 - 8 = 3
Cheers,
Brent
Answer:
Cheers,
Brent