SOLUTION: Please solve If the sides of a square are increased by 5 inches, the area becomes 144 square inches. Find the length of the sides of the original square

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Question 1114765: Please solve

If the sides of a square are increased by
5 inches, the area becomes 144 square inches. Find the length of the sides of the original square

Found 2 solutions by rothauserc, ikleyn:
Answer by rothauserc(4718) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
let x be the length of one side of the square, then
:
Note all squares are rectangles
:
length * width = area of rectangle
:
(x+5) * (x+5) = 144
:
x^2 +10x +25 = 144
:
x^2 +10x -119 = 0
:
(x+17) * (x-7) = 0
:
x = -17 or 7
:
we reject the negative answer for x
:
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the length of the side of the original square is 7
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:

Answer by ikleyn(52781) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If the sides of a square are increased by
5 inches, the area becomes 144 square inches. Find the length of the sides of the original square
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After increasing, the side length is  sqrt%28144%29 = 12 inches.


Hence, the answer is  12 - 5 = 7 inches.

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I am wondering why the tutors select the most difficult and longest way of solution instead of choosing the most simple and straightforward . . .