16Hit 1600
Advanced MathVery hardSum of squares from a nonlinear system

Advanced Math practice question

For numbers x and y, x + y = 10 and xy = 21. What is the value of x² + y²?

Answer: 58

x² + y² = (x + y)² − 2xy = 100 − 42 = 58.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 79
Subtract 2xy = 42, not xy = 21.
If you answered 100
100 is (x + y)²; subtract 2xy = 42.
If you answered 142
The 2xy is subtracted from 100, not added.

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