SOLUTION: If the sides of a sqare are decreased by 2 cm, the area is decreased by 36cm^2. What were teh dimensions of the original Square? This comes from a chapter on factoring and I for

Question 77286: If the sides of a sqare are decreased by 2 cm, the area is decreased by 36cm^2. What were teh dimensions of the original Square? This comes from a chapter on factoring and I for the life of me can't see the formula correctly. I have been working out the problem as
36^2=x^2+x^2-2 but I know this is wrong?? Please HELP
Debbie
Found 2 solutions by Earlsdon, jim_thompson5910:
Answer by Earlsdon(6294) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let the side of the origimal square be of length x.
The original area is then After decreasing the original side length by 2 (x-2), the new area is decreased by 36 sq.cm.().
So, you can write:
Simplify and solve for x.
Subtract from both sides.
Subtract 4 from both sides.
Divide both sides by -4.

The length of the side of the original square is 10 cm.
Check:
Original area is 10X10 = 100 sq.cm.
The new area is (10-2)X(10-2) = 8X8 = 64 sq.cm
The difference: 100-64 = 36 sq.cm.
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If we have an original square of side x we have the area as:

So if we decrease the sides by 2 and it results in a decrease of 36 we get

foil the left side
Subtract from both sides
Subtract 2 from both sides
Divide both sides by -4
So the original side is

Check:
Plug in x=10

works
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