16Hit1600
Advanced MathMediumSum of the roots of a shifted square

Advanced Math practice question

What is the sum of the solutions to (x − 5)² = 4?

Answer: 10

x − 5 = ±2, so x = 7 or x = 3. Their sum is 10.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 3
3 is the other solution alone.
If you answered 7
7 is one solution alone.
If you answered 14
14 doubles 7, forgetting that the second root is 3.

More Advanced Math questions

Not affiliated with the College Board. SAT is a trademark of the College Board.