Final answer:
To find the length of each side of a square with an area of 25.4 in², take the square root of the area. The square root of 25.4 is approximately 5.04, which makes the answer closest to 5 inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a square has an area of 25.4 in², we can find the length of each side by taking the square root of the area, as the area of a square is given by the formula Area = side². Here are the steps to find the side length:
- Write the equation for the area of a square: Area = side².
- Substitute the given area into the equation: 25.4 in² = side².
- Calculate the square root of the area to find the side length: side = √(25.4 in²).
The square root of 25.4 is approximately 5.04, so a) 4 in, b) 5 in, c) 6 in, and d) 7 in are the options given for the side length. The closest whole number to 5.04 is 5, so option b) 5 in is the correct answer.