SOLUTION: Each side of a square is lengthened by 3 inches. The area of this new, larger square is 64 square inches. Find the length of a side of the original square. Explain how you got your

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Question 707196: Each side of a square is lengthened by 3 inches. The area of this new, larger square is 64 square inches. Find the length of a side of the original square. Explain how you got your answer.
Answer by fcabanski(1391) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Call the sides of the original square x. The sides of the new square are x+3, and its area is side times side = (x+3)*(x+3) = 64.

Solve for x. First multiply the left...use FOIL...

...subtract 64 from both sides

Factor using reverse foil (two numbers that when multiplied are -55 and when added are 6...11 * -5.)

(x+11)*(x-5) = 0 ----> x+11=0 so x=-11 and x-5=0 so x=5.

The side of a square cannot have a negative length, so ignore -11. x=5, and the area of a square with length 5 is 5*5=25 square inches.

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