Find the Square Root: Calculating Side Length When Area = 25

Square Root Calculation with Perfect Squares

Calculate the side of a square that has an area equal to 25.

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Find the side of the square
00:03 Use the formula for calculating the area of a square (side squared)
00:08 Substitute appropriate values and solve to find the side
00:17 Extract the root
00:22 When extracting a root there are always 2 solutions
00:28 The side length must be greater than 0
00:32 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Calculate the side of a square that has an area equal to 25.

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Identify the given information.
  • Step 2: Apply the appropriate formula to find the side length.
  • Step 3: Perform the necessary calculations.

Now, let's work through each step:
Step 1: We are given the area of the square is 25 square units.
Step 2: We'll use the formula for the area of a square, A=s2 A = s^2 , where s s is the length of a side.
Step 3: Set up the equation s2=25 s^2 = 25 . To solve for s s , take the square root of both sides: s=25 s = \sqrt{25} . This results in s=5 s = 5 , considering the constraint that a side length must be non-negative.

Therefore, the solution to the problem is the side of the square is s=5 s = 5 .

3

Final Answer

5

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Formula: Area of square equals side length squared: A=s2 A = s^2
  • Technique: Take square root of area: s=25=5 s = \sqrt{25} = 5
  • Check: Verify by squaring answer: 52=25 5^2 = 25 matches given area ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Forgetting to take the square root of the area
    Don't assume the area equals the side length directly, like saying side = 25! This gives a side length that's way too big. Always take the square root of the area to find the side length: s=25=5 s = \sqrt{25} = 5 .

Practice Quiz

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\( \sqrt{100}= \)

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do we only consider the positive square root?

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Because side lengths must be positive in real life! Even though (5)2=25 (-5)^2 = 25 , a square can't have a negative side length of -5 units.

What if the area isn't a perfect square like 25?

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You'll get a decimal or irrational number! For example, if area = 26, then s=265.1 s = \sqrt{26} \approx 5.1 . Use a calculator and round appropriately.

How do I know if a number is a perfect square?

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Perfect squares are numbers like 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36... Their square roots are whole numbers! Practice memorizing the first 12 perfect squares to solve these faster.

Can I just guess and check instead?

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While guessing might work for easy numbers like 25, it's not reliable for larger numbers. Always use the square root method - it's faster and more accurate!

What's the difference between area and perimeter?

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Area measures the space inside (square units), while perimeter measures the distance around the outside (linear units). Don't confuse them!

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