16Hit1600
AlgebraMediumSum of squares from a sum and a difference

Algebra practice question

Two numbers have a sum of 16 and a difference of 6. What is the sum of their squares?

  1. A. 146Correct
  2. B. 256
  3. C. 110
  4. D. 55

Answer: A. 146

Adding the equations gives 2x = 22, x = 11, y = 5. Then 11² + 5² = 121 + 25 = 146.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. 256
256 is 16², the square of the sum, not the sum of the squares.
C. 110
110 is 2 × 55, twice the product.
D. 55
55 is the product.

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