What is the process of finding two consecutive numbers with a product of 552?

Answer 1

I am thinking you know the numbers are 23 and 24 but wonder how to find it.

The easiest way is if you have a calculator, is to take the square root of 552

and get 23.4 , so try 23 and 24 and it works! You know that x(x+1) should be

about the same as xx and by taking the square root you find that (23.4)(23.4) is close to 552, so 23 times 24 will likely be what you want.

Of course you can use algebra; let x be the smaller number, then x+1 is the other,

so x(x+1) = 552

x2+x -552 = 0 If you try to factor : ( x + )(x - ) = 0

You need try to find two numbers whose product is 552 and whose difference is 1.

but that the original problem!!

You can use the quadratic formula, but the discriminant is 1+4*552 and you need to take the square root of that--- not hard, but harder than the first method.