document.write( "Question 639958: The sides of a square were extended to form a rectangle 8cm longer and 3cm wider than the square. The area of the rectangle is 204 sq cm. What was the area of the original square? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #402970 by Edwin McCravy(20056)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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document.write( "We start with an x cm by x cm square\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then we extend it by 8 cm horizontally and 3 cm vertically, and\r\n" );
document.write( "have this:\r\n" );
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document.write( "So the length of the extended rectangle is x+8 and the width is x+3\r\n" );
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document.write( "     Area = (length)(width)\r\n" );
document.write( "      204 = (x+8)(x+3)\r\n" );
document.write( "      204 = x²+3x+8x+24\r\n" );
document.write( "      204 = x²+11x+24\r\n" );
document.write( "Get 0 on the left\r\n" );
document.write( "        0 = x²+11x-180\r\n" );
document.write( "        0 = (x-9)(x+20)\r\n" );
document.write( "Use zero factor property:\r\n" );
document.write( "           x-9=0  x+20=0\r\n" );
document.write( "             x=9     x=-20\r\n" );
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document.write( "Discard the negative answer.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Each side of the original square is 9 cm.\r\n" );
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document.write( "So the area of the original square is\r\n" );
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document.write( "     Area = (length)(width)\r\n" );
document.write( "     Area = (9)(9)\r\n" );
document.write( "     Area = 81 sq.cm.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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