What will come in place of question mark (?) in the following questions ?
`(14.8)^(2) - (12.8)^(2) = ?`

Options

A. 65.4
B. 49.8
C. 44.2
D. 55.2

Answer

To solve the problem `(14.8)^(2) - (12.8)^(2) = ?`, we can use the difference of squares formula, which states that:

\[ a^2 - b^2 = (a - b)(a + b) \]

Here, we can let:
- \( a = 14.8 \)
- \( b = 12.8 \)

Now, we can apply the formula:

1. **Calculate \( a - b \)**:
\[ a - b = 14.8 - 12.8 = 2.0 \]

2. **Calculate \( a + b \)**:
\[ a + b = 14.8 + 12.8 = 27.6 \]

3. **Now substitute back into the difference of squares formula**:
\[ (14.8)^2 - (12.8)^2 = (a - b)(a + b) = (2.0)(27.6) \]

4. **Calculate the product**:
\[ 2.0 \times 27.6 = 55.2 \]

Thus, the value that comes in place of the question mark is:

\[ \boxed{55.2} \]