Final answer:
To find the lengths of the sides of the two squares, set up a system of equations. Solve for the side length of the smaller square and then find the side length of the larger square. The lengths of the sides of the squares are 8 inches and 11 inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the lengths of the sides of the two squares, we can start by setting up a system of equations. Let's represent the length of the side of the smaller square as 'x'.
The larger square has sides that are 3 inches longer, so its side length can be represented as 'x+3'.
The sum of the areas of the squares is given as 317 square inches. The area of a square is calculated by squaring its side length, so we have the equation x^2 + (x+3)^2 = 317.
Simplifying this equation, we get x^2 + x^2 + 6x + 9 = 317. Combining like terms, we have 2x^2 + 6x + 9 = 317.
Subtracting 317 from both sides, we get 2x^2 + 6x - 308 = 0.
Now we can solve this quadratic equation. We can factor it or use the quadratic formula. After solving, we find that the possible values for x are -19 and 8. We discard the negative value since the length cannot be negative.
Therefore, the lengths of the sides of the smaller and larger squares are 8 inches and 11 inches, respectively.