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Chain Reaction Level 1 Hard maths puzzle involving answers, chain, questions and sequential reasoning

Chain Reaction – Level 1 – Hard

Home » Puzzles » Chain Reaction » Level 1 - Hard » Chain Reaction – Level 1 – Hard
Topics: answers, chain, questions, sequential reasoning

Each answer you find is used inside the next question. Work through the full chain carefully – if you get one wrong, it affects the rest!

Your Workings For Chain Reaction

1) Solve: -(x – 4)(2x + 3) + (x + 4)² = -x² + 19x + 4

A =

2) Use your answer from Q1 as “a”. Now solve: (x – 2)(x + 9) + (a + 3)(x – 4) + (x + 1)² = 2x² + 21x – 60

B =

3) Use your answer from Q2 as “b”. Find the coefficient of x in the expansion of: (2x + b)(x + 4)

C =

4) Use your answer from Q3 as “c”. Now solve: (x + 3)² – (x – 1)(x + 7) + c(x – 2) + 2x(x – 5) – (x + 4)(x – 5) = x² + 4x + 42

D =

5) Use your answer from Q4 as “d”. Now factorise: 4x² + dx + -8

E =

Reveal the Answer

Reveal Answer
Additional instructions for Chain Reaction (Level 1, Hard)

Chain Reaction – Hard

Hard chains combine multiple algebra skills across the sequence: solving, simplifying, expansion, factorising, coefficient extraction, and sometimes choosing a specific form of an answer.

Hard-mode plan:

  • Preview the entire chain and mark “heavy steps” (factorising, expansion, coefficient extraction).
  • Keep a clean ledger of results: a, b, c, d… boxed and labelled.
  • After substitution, simplify completely before doing anything else.

Tip: if the puzzle asks for a form (e.g. factorised), make sure you give that form — not just a numeric value.

Full help: Chain Reaction

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