Problema Solution
The area of a rectangle is 54cm. Its length and breadth are reduced by 5cm and 2cm respectively so as to become a square. Find the length of a side of the square.
Answer provided by our tutors
Area of the rectangle = l*w = 54
Area of the square = (l-5)(w-2), because each is reduced as such. We know that (l-5) must be equal to (w-2) if it is a square.
Factors of 54 include 1,54 2,26, 3,18 6,9
The pair 6,9 fits the solution that l*w = 54 with l=9 and w=6
l-5 = 9-5 = 4
w-2 = 6-2 = 4
Therefore, the length of one side of the square is 4 cm.