Solve sqrt{x+5}+sqrt{-x+20}=7

$$\sqrt{ x+5 } + \sqrt{ -x+20 } =7$$

Solve for x

$$x=11$$

$$x=4$$

Solution Steps

Subtract \sqrt{-x+20} from both sides of the equation.

$$\sqrt{x+5}=7-\sqrt{-x+20}$$

Square both sides of the equation.

$$\left(\sqrt{x+5}\right)^{2}=\left(7-\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Calculate \sqrt{x+5} to the power of 2 and get x+5.

$$x+5=\left(7-\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Use binomial theorem \left(a-b\right)^{2}=a^{2}-2ab+b^{2} to expand \left(7-\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}.

$$x+5=49-14\sqrt{-x+20}+\left(\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Calculate \sqrt{-x+20} to the power of 2 and get -x+20.

$$x+5=49-14\sqrt{-x+20}-x+20$$

Add 49 and 20 to get 69.

$$x+5=69-14\sqrt{-x+20}-x$$

Subtract 69-x from both sides of the equation.

$$x+5-\left(69-x\right)=-14\sqrt{-x+20}$$

To find the opposite of 69-x, find the opposite of each term.

$$x+5-69-\left(-x\right)=-14\sqrt{-x+20}$$

Subtract 69 from 5 to get -64.

$$x-64-\left(-x\right)=-14\sqrt{-x+20}$$

Square both sides of the equation.

$$\left(x-64-\left(-x\right)\right)^{2}=\left(-14\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Square x-64-\left(-x\right).

$$x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x-128\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)+\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)^{2}+4096=\left(-14\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Multiply -128 and -1 to get 128.

$$x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)^{2}+4096=\left(-14\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Calculate -\left(-x\right) to the power of 2 and get \left(-x\right)^{2}.

$$x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+\left(-x\right)^{2}+4096=\left(-14\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Expand \left(-14\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}.

$$x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+\left(-x\right)^{2}+4096=\left(-14\right)^{2}\left(\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Calculate -14 to the power of 2 and get 196.

$$x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+\left(-x\right)^{2}+4096=196\left(\sqrt{-x+20}\right)^{2}$$

Calculate \sqrt{-x+20} to the power of 2 and get -x+20.

$$x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+\left(-x\right)^{2}+4096=196\left(-x+20\right)$$

Use the distributive property to multiply 196 by -x+20.

$$x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+\left(-x\right)^{2}+4096=196\left(-x\right)+3920$$

Calculate -x to the power of 2 and get x^{2}.

$$x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+x^{2}+4096=196\left(-x\right)+3920$$

Combine x^{2} and x^{2} to get 2x^{2}.

$$2x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+4096=196\left(-x\right)+3920$$

Subtract 196\left(-x\right) from both sides.

$$2x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+128\left(-x\right)+4096-196\left(-x\right)=3920$$

Combine 128\left(-x\right) and -196\left(-x\right) to get -68\left(-x\right).

$$2x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x-68\left(-x\right)+4096=3920$$

Subtract 3920 from both sides.

$$2x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x-68\left(-x\right)[phone]=0$$

Multiply -68 and -1 to get 68.

$$2x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-128x+68x+4096-3920=0$$

Combine -128x and 68x to get -60x.

$$2x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-60x+4096-3920=0$$

Subtract 3920 from 4096 to get 176.

$$2x^{2}+2\left(-\left(-x\right)\right)x-60x+176=0$$

Multiply x and x to get x^{2}.

$$2x^{2}+2\left(-1\right)\left(-1\right)x^{2}-60x+176=0$$

Multiply 2 and -1 to get -2.

$$2x^{2}-2\left(-1\right)x^{2}-60x+176=0$$

Multiply -2 and -1 to get 2.

$$2x^{2}+2x^{2}-60x+176=0$$

Combine 2x^{2} and 2x^{2} to get 4x^{2}.

$$4x^{2}-60x+176=0$$

Divide both sides by 4.

$$x^{2}-15x+44=0$$

To solve the equation, factor the left hand side by grouping. First, left hand side needs to be rewritten as x^{2}+ax+bx+44. To find a and b, set up a system to be solved.

$$a+b=-15 ab=1\times 44=44$$

Since ab is positive, a and b have the same sign. Since a+b is negative, a and b are both negative. List all such integer pairs that give product 44.

$$-1,-44 -2,-22 -4,-11$$

Calculate the sum for each pair.

$$-1-44=-45 -2-22=-24 -4-11=-15$$

The solution is the pair that gives sum -15.

$$a=-11 b=-4$$

Rewrite x^{2}-15x+44 as \left(x^{2}-11x\right)+\left(-4x+44\right).

$$\left(x^{2}-11x\right)+\left(-4x+44\right)$$

Factor out x in the first and -4 in the second group.

$$x\left(x-11\right)-4\left(x-11\right)$$

Factor out common term x-11 by using distributive property.

$$\left(x-11\right)\left(x-4\right)$$

To find equation solutions, solve x-11=0 and x-4=0.

$$x=11 x=4$$

Substitute 11 for x in the equation \sqrt{x+5}+\sqrt{-x+20}=7.

$$\sqrt{11+5}+\sqrt{-11+20}=7$$

Simplify. The value x=11 satisfies the equation.

$$7=7$$

Substitute 4 for x in the equation \sqrt{x+5}+\sqrt{-x+20}=7.

$$\sqrt{4+5}+\sqrt{-4+20}=7$$

Simplify. The value x=4 satisfies the equation.

$$7=7$$

List all solutions of \sqrt{x+5}=-\sqrt{20-x}+7.

$$x=11 x=4$$