SOLUTION: Hi, this is the problem I was told to do: [SQRT(2x + 2)] - [SQRT(x - 3)] = 2 or √(2x+2) - √(x-3) = 2 I've been told to FOIL this problem, but I don't understand

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Question 163137: Hi, this is the problem I was told to do:
[SQRT(2x + 2)] - [SQRT(x - 3)] = 2
or
√(2x+2) - √(x-3) = 2
I've been told to FOIL this problem, but I don't understand how to FOIL it if its subtracting and not multiplying. What I do know is that the answer is equal to 7.
Thanks in advance.

Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let and

So the equation then becomes

Start with the given equation


Add "B" to both sides


Square both sides. Remember, squaring undoes the square root (which is in both A and B)


FOIL the right side


Plug in and


Square to get . Square to get .


Combine like terms.


Subtract 1 from both sides. Subtract x from both sides.


Combine like terms.


Square both sides. This will eliminate the square root.


FOIL the left side


Distribute


Get all terms to the left side


Combine like terms


Factor the left side


Take the square root of both sides (to get rid of the square)


Add 7 to both sides.


So the solution is

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