The product of two consecutive positive even integers is 168. Find the smaller positive even integer.
A) 14
B) 6
C) 12
D) 10

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let the smaller even integer be x. Then the next consecutive even integer is x+2. We know that their product is 168, so:

x(x+2) = 168
x^2 + 2x = 168
x^2 + 2x - 168 = 0

We can now factor this quadratic equation:

(x+14)(x-12) = 0

So, x could be -14 or 12. We are looking for a positive even integer, so the answer is x = 12, which is choice C.

The Product of Two Consecutive Positive Even Integers Is 168