Question

A papyrus dating back to 1950 BC contains the following problem. “ A given surface area of 100 units of area shall be represented as the sum of two squares whose sides are to each other as 1;¾ . solve the sides by solving the system

Answer 1

• 8 units, 6 units

Explanation:

Let the sides be x and 3/4x, then the sum of areas is:

• x² + (3/4x)² = 100
• x² + 9/16x² = 100
• 16x² + 9x² = 1600
• 25x² = 1600
• 5x = 40
• x = 8

The sides of squares are 8 units and 8*3/4 = 6 units