SOLUTION: If the area between 2 squares is 17 inches and the sum of the perimeters of the 2 squares is 68 inches. How many inches long is a side of the larger square?

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Geometry -> SOLUTION: If the area between 2 squares is 17 inches and the sum of the perimeters of the 2 squares is 68 inches. How many inches long is a side of the larger square?      Log On

Ad: Over 600 Algebra Word Problems at edhelper.com


    

Question 956760: If the area between 2 squares is 17 inches and the sum of the perimeters of the 2 squares is 68 inches. How many inches long is a side of the larger square?
Answer by macston(5194) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If the following edited question is not what you intended to ask, re-post so someone else can try to interpret.
.
If the difference in area between 2 squares is 17 square inches and the sum of the perimeters of the 2 squares is 68 inches, how long is a side of the larger square?
.
a%5BS%5D=side of small square; a%5BL%5D=side of large square; P%5BB%5D= Sum of perimeter of both squares
4a%5BS%5D%2B4a%5BL%5D=68in
4%28a%5BL%5D%2Ba%5BS%5D%29=68in Divide each side by 4.
a%5BL%5D%2Ba%5BS%5D=17in Subtract a%5BS%5D from each side.
a%5BL%5D=17in-a%5BS%5D Use this to substitute.
a%5BL%5D%5E2-a%5BS%5D%5E2=17in%5E2 Substitute for a%5BL%5D.
%2817in-a%5BS%5D%29%5E2-a%5BS%5D%5E2=17in%5E2
a%5BS%5D%5E2-34a%5BS%5D%2B289-a%5BS%5D%5E2=17in%5E2 Subtract 289 from each side.
-34a%5BS%5D=-272 Divide each side by -34.
a%5BS%5D=8 The side of the shorter square is 8 inches.
4a%5BS%5D%2B4a%5BL%5D=68in
4%288in%29%2B4a%5BL%5D=68in
32in%2B4a%5BL%5D=68in+Subtract+32in+from+each+side.%0D%0A%7B%7B%7B4a%5BL%5D=36in Divide each side by 4.
a%5BL%5D=9in ANSWER: The side of the larger square is 9 inches
CHECK:
Difference in area is 17 square inches.
4a%5BL%5D%5E2-4a%5BS%5D%5E2=17in%5E2
4%289%5E2in%5E2%29-4%288%5E2in%5E2%29=17in%5E2
81in%5E2-64in%5E2=17in%5E2
17in%5E2=17in%5E2