A piece of wire 40 cm long is cut into two square pieces. If the side length of one of the squares is x cm, what is the side length of the other square?

2 Answers
Oct 30, 2015

#(10 - x)# cm

Explanation:

One square has perimeter #4x# cm, leaving #(40-4x)# cm of wire to construct the other square.

So the other square has four sides of length #(10 - x)# cm, using #4 xx (10-x) = (40-4x)# cm wire.

Oct 30, 2015

Depending on x being 1,2,3,4or 5, the side length of other piece would be 9,8,7,6,or 5 cms respectively.

Explanation:

Essentially, the question is to find two numbers, sum of four times of whose square roots is 40. these square numbers are (1,81); (4,64); (9,49),(16,36)and (25.25).

The side lengths of square pieces can thus be ( 1 and 9); (2 and 8); (3 and 7); (4 and 6) r (5 and 5). Thus depending on x being 1,2,3,4or 5 cms, the side length of the other square would be 9,8,7,6 or 5cms respectively.