Answer: The side length of the inner square is 17.3 ft.
Step-by-step explanation: Given that a community is building a square garden with a walkway around the perimeter with the design shown at the right.
We are to find the area of the inner square equal to 75% of the total area of the garden.
The step-wise solutions area s follows:
(1) From the figure, we note that
The side length of the inner square is x ft.
We know that the area of a square is equal to (side)².
So, the area of the inner square will be
![A_i=x* x\\\\\Rightarrow A_i=x^2~\textup{sq. ft}.](https://img.qammunity.org/2020/formulas/mathematics/college/35y0uiclzkftl8xledpza65h3xoyazkgc7.png)
(2) The whole garden is in the form of a square with side length 20 ft.
Therefore, the area of the entire garden is given by
![A_g=20* 320\\\\\Rightarrow A_g=400~\textup{sq. ft}.](https://img.qammunity.org/2020/formulas/mathematics/college/s3mwc6b2jczfqo72i8ts9gtva57w19x0bf.png)
(3) The area of the entire garden is 400 sq. ft.
So, 75% of the area of the entire garden will be
![75\%* 400\\\\=(75)/(100)* 400\\\\=(3)/(4)* 400\\\\=3* 100\\\\=300~\textup{sq. ft}.](https://img.qammunity.org/2020/formulas/mathematics/college/cpa79ih60dqy4iayxrbyiib2ar0ia519au.png)
(4) Since the area of the inner square is equal to 75% of the area of the entire garden, so we must have
![x^2=300.](https://img.qammunity.org/2020/formulas/mathematics/college/n0nco2hg2e1mytpwh00xd17pwp95kdulut.png)
(5) The solution of the quadratic equation is as follows:
![x^2=300\\\\\Rightarrow x=\pm√(300)\\\\\Rightarrow x=\pm10√(3).\\\\\Rightarrow x=\pm10* 1.732\\\\\Rightarrow x=\pm17.32\\\\\Rightarrow x=17.32,~-17.32.](https://img.qammunity.org/2020/formulas/mathematics/college/ezcc939a6sjichxd4hsxzs2hv0xsho8z62.png)
So, the required solution is x = 17.32, - 17.32.
Rounding to nearest tenth, we get
x=17.3, - 17.3.
(6) Since the length of the side of a square cannot be negative, so the solution that best describes the side length of the inner square will be
x = 17.3.
Thus, all the questions are answered.
And, the side length of the inner square is 17.3 ft.