p^a*q^b*r^c*s^d=x, where x is a perfect square. If p, q, r

p^a*q^b*r^c*s^d=x, where x is a perfect square. If p, q, r, and s are prime integers, are they distinct?

First of all: a perfect square always has even powers of its prime factors. So, if \(p\), \(q\), \(r\), and \(s\) ARE distinct primes, then in order \(x\) to be a perfect square \(a\), \(b\), \(c\), and \(d\) MUST be even.

(1) 18 is a factor of ab and cd --> we cannot get whether \(a\), \(b\), \(c\), and \(d\) are even or odd. For example we can have following two cases:
\(p^a*q^b*r^c*s^d=2^3*3^6*2^3*3^6\): in this case \(p\), \(q\), \(r\), and \(s\) are NOT distinct primes.
\(p^a*q^b*r^c*s^d=2^2*3^{18}*5^2*7^{18}\): in this case \(p\), \(q\), \(r\), and \(s\) are distinct primes.
Not sufficient.

(2) 4 is not a factor of ab and cd --> which means that at least one from \(a\) and \(b\), and at least one from \(c\) and \(d\) is NOT even (if for example \(a\) and \(b\) were BOTH even then \(ab\) would be a multiple of 4) --> \(p\), \(q\), \(r\), and \(s\) are NOT distinct primes. Sufficient.

Answer: B.

Hope it's clear.