Solve the rational equation given by the geometric mean for x.
Example Pairs: 5 and 20 or 9 and 4. Condition: The product of the numbers must be a perfect square.
Practice makes perfect
By definition, the geometric mean of two positive numbers a and b is the number x such that ax= xb. Let's solve this equation for x.
a/x=x/b ⇒ x=sqrt(ab)
Therefore, if we want x to be a whole number, the product of a and b must be a perfect square. Let's see two examples.