16Hit1600
Advanced MathHardSum of y-coordinates where a parabola meets a line

Advanced Math practice question

In the xy-plane, the parabola y = x² and the line x + y = 6 intersect at two points. What is the sum of the y-coordinates of those two points?

Answer: 13

x² + x − 6 = (x + 3)(x − 2) = 0 gives x = −3 or 2, with y = 9 and 4; the sum is 13.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 5
5 is the difference of the y-coordinates.
If you answered 36
36 is the product of the y-coordinates.
If you answered -1
−1 is the sum of the x-coordinates.

More Advanced Math questions

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