Advanced MathVery hardConstant for a single intersection
Advanced Math practice question
In the xy-plane, the parabola y = x² + c and the line y = 2x intersect at exactly one point. What is the value of the constant c?
Answer: 1
Set equal: x² + c = 2x, so x² − 2x + c = 0. Exactly one solution means the discriminant is 0: (−2)² − 4(1)(c) = 4 − 4c = 0, so c = 1. (The point of contact is (1, 2).)
Common wrong answers
- If you answered 0
- With c = 0, x² = 2x has TWO solutions, x = 0 and x = 2.
- If you answered 2
- 2 is the slope of the line, not c.
- If you answered 4
- 4 is the discriminant's first term (b² = 4); the condition 4 − 4c = 0 gives c = 1.
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