SOLUTION: Could you please help me solve this word problem and the formula used for solve it? Two positive numbers are consecutive odd integers. The square of the smaller is 4 more than

Algebra ->  Problems-with-consecutive-odd-even-integers -> SOLUTION: Could you please help me solve this word problem and the formula used for solve it? Two positive numbers are consecutive odd integers. The square of the smaller is 4 more than       Log On


   

Question 170485: Could you please help me solve this word problem and the formula used for solve it?
Two positive numbers are consecutive odd integers. The square of the smaller is 4 more than 3 times the larger. Find the smaller integar. The multiple choice answers are: a) 3 b) 5 c) 6 d) 7 e) 9
thank you for your help, Phillip

Answer by Mathtut(3670) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
we are looking for 2 consecutive odd integers that are also positive. Lets call them a and a+2.
a%5E2=3%28a%2B2%29%2B4distribute and combine
:
a%5E2=3a%2B10
:
a%5E2-3a-10=0 factor
:
%28a-5%29%28a%2B2%29=0
:
a=5 and -2 but we can throw out the negative so a=5
:
integers are a=5anda%2B2=7