SOLUTION: find the value of "a" such that y^2+14y+a is a perfect square please can you help

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Question 179776: find the value of "a" such that y^2+14y+a is a perfect square

please can you help

Answer by Mathtut(3670) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
y%5E2%2B14y%2Ba
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remember the rule: you take 1/2 of the y term and then square that value
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so in our case we have 14/2=7. We then take 7 and square it which results
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in 49
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so a=49
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we are left with y%5E2%2B14y%2B49
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which when factored would yield the perfect square %28y%2B7%29%5E2