SAT Math · Nonlinear equations in one variable · hard

The equation x² - 15x + c = 0 has two real solutions that differ by 7. What is the value of c?

The equation x2−15x+c=0x^2 - 15x + c = 0 has two real solutions that differ by 7. What is the value of cc?

Answer and explanation

Answer: 44

Let the roots be rr and r+7r + 7. For x2−15x+c=0x^2 - 15x + c = 0, the roots sum to 15, so 2r+7=152r + 7 = 15 and r=4r = 4. The roots are 4 and 11, and cc is their product: 4×11=444 \times 11 = 44. Check: x2−15x+44=(x−4)(x−11)x^2 - 15x + 44 = (x - 4)(x - 11), and 11−4=711 - 4 = 7. A common wrong answer is 56, from using the roots 7 and 8, which sum to 15 but differ by only 1. Another is 15, the sum of the roots, which is the xx-coefficient and not cc. A third is 7, the difference.

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