Question 1180102
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Work this kind of problem by thinking in terms of what FACTOR the one pair of sides is MULTIPLIED BY instead of in terms of percent increase or decrease.<br>
An increase of 25% (i.e., 1/4) increases the measurement by a FACTOR of (1+1/4)=5/4.  To keep the area the same, the other dimension of the rectangle must be changed by a factor of 4/5.<br>
Original area: (x)(y) = xy<br>
New area: ((5/4)x)((4/5)y) = xy<br>
4/5 as a percentage is 80%, which means a decrease of 20%.<br>
ANSWER: 20%<br>