Question

I got to have some help on this question...

The length of each side of a square is increased by 2 inches. The perimeter of the original square is ten inches more than the length of one side of the larger square. What is the length, in inches, of each side of the larger square?

Answer 1

12 inches is the length of the larger square's side

Answer 2

I was going to try to do it some fancy equation way, but i couldn't seem to manipulate any of my equations just the right way. 


But.....I did come across the answer by chance while testing something in my calculator.

so, if y is the length of the original side of the square and x is the new length:
x+2=y

4x=perimeter of original square
4x=10+y
or
4x=10+(x+2)

I plugged 4 into this by chance and look what we have from that:
4x=10+(x+2)
4•4=10+(4+2)
16=10+6
16=16
Bingo!!! it's a match!

so the new length of one side is 6 inches.