GED Math Practice Test Prep — Practice Exam & Study Guide

To find the value of \(5^2 - 3^2\), we first calculate each square:

1. Calculate \(5^2\):

\[

5^2 = 25

\]

2. Calculate \(3^2\):

\[

3^2 = 9

\]

Now we can subtract the value of \(3^2\) from \(5^2\):

\[

25 - 9 = 16

\]

Therefore, the value of \(5^2 - 3^2\) is 16.

This aligns with the concept of using the difference of squares formula, which states that \(a^2 - b^2 = (a - b)(a + b)\). In this case, \(a = 5\) and \(b = 3\).

Applying the formula gives us:

\[

5^2 - 3^2 = (5 - 3)(5 + 3) = 2 \times 8 = 16

\]

This confirms our earlier calculation.