Question 990983
An open box is made from a 30 cm by 58 cm piece of tin by cutting a square from each corner and folding up the edges. The area of the resulting base is 348 cm². What is the length of the sides of the squares?
<pre>Let one side of one of the square to be cut off, be S
Length of each side of tin needs to be decreased by: 2S cm
We then get: (30 - 2S)(58 - 2S) = 348
{{{1740 - 176S + 4S^2 = 348}}}
{{{4S^2 - 176S + 1740 - 348 = 0}}}
{{{4S^2 - 176S + 1392 = 0}}}
{{{4(S^2 - 44S + 348) = 4(0)}}}
{{{S^2 - 44S + 348 = 0}}}
Using the quadratic equation formula, or completing the square, S, or length of a side of one of the squares = {{{highlight_green(10.3381)}}} cm