Question

What is the missing constant term in the perfect square that starts with x 2 − 16 x x 2 −16xx, squared, minus, 16, x ?

Answer 1

64

Explanation:

Given:

The perfect square, that starts with: x² -16x

We need to find the missing constant term

Let the missing term be k

Since x² - 16x + k is perfect square, it can be shown as:

• (x - n)² = x² - 2nx + n²

Comparing this with the original polynomial, we see that:

• 2n= 16

Then:

• n=16/2 = 8 ⇒ n²= 8² = 64
• k= 64

The missing term is 64 and the perfect square is:

• x² - 16x + 64 = (x - 8)²