document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=64411>Question 64411</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> If the sides of a square are decreased by 3 cm, the area is decreased by 81 cm^2.  What were the dimensions of the original square? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #45040 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=funmath><B>funmath(2933)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=funmath><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=45040\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> If the sides of a square are decreased by 3 cm, the area is decreased by 81 cm^2.  What were the dimensions of the original square?<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Let the original side be: x<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then the area is:x^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then if we decreased it by 3 the new sides would be: x-3<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The area of the original decreased by 81 is: x^2-81<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The area of the new square is:(x-3)^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( " <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28x-3%29%5E2=x%5E2-81 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28x-3%29%5E2=x%5E2-81\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-6x%2B9=x%5E2-81 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-6x%2B9=x%5E2-81\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-x%5E2-6x%2B9=x%5E2-x%5E2-81 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-x%5E2-6x%2B9=x%5E2-x%5E2-81\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-6x%2B9=-81 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-6x%2B9=-81\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-6x%2B9-9=-81-9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-6x%2B9-9=-81-9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-6x=-90 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-6x=-90\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-6x%2F-6=-90%2F-6 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-6x%2F-6=-90%2F-6\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=15 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=15\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The original sides were 15 cm.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Sanity Check:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "If the original sides were 15 cm, the area would be 15^2=225.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "If the new sides were 15-3=12 cm, the area would be 12^2=144<BR>\n" );
document.write( "If we subtract the two areas we get: 225-144=81<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Happy Calculating!!! </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );