What two numbers multiplied together equal 1408 but when subtracted equal 12?

Answer 1

1396

Answer 2

Let the two numbers be represented by a and b.

Then a x b = 1408..........so b = 1408/a

And, a - b = 12.....substituting for b this becomes,

a - (1408/a) = 12.....multiplying throughout by a and equating to zero gives,

a2 - 12a - 1408 = 0......This can be factored,

(a - 44)(a + 32) = 0

Then a = 44 or a = -32

As a - b = 12 then b = a - 12

When a = 44 then b = 32

When a = -32 then b = -44

The numbers are ± 44 and ± 32