SOLUTION: Please help me solve this equation! The sum of the squares of two consecutive even integers is 452. Find the numbers. What formula should be used to solve this?

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Question 122744: Please help me solve this equation!

The sum of the squares of two consecutive even integers is 452. Find the numbers.

What formula should be used to solve this?

Answer by Earlsdon(6294) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Try this:
Let x = the first even number, the x+2 = the next consecutive even number.
From the problem description, you can write:
x%5E2%2B%28x%2B2%29%5E2+=+452 Simplify this.
x%5E2%2Bx%5E2%2B4x%2B4+=+452
2x%5E2%2B4x%2B4+=+452 Subtract 452 from both sides.
2x%5E2%2B4x-448+=+0 Factor out a 2 to ease the calculations a bit.
2%28x%5E2%2B2x%2B224%29+=+0 so that:
x%5E2%2B2x%2B224+=+0 Solve this quadratic by factoring:
%28x-16%29%28x%2B14%29+=+0 so then...
x+=+16 or x+=+-14
Now since the problem did not restrict the answers to positive integers, there are two solutions:
1) x+=+14 and x+=+16
2) x+=+-16 and x+=+-14