Question

A generic square slab used to make outdoor patios has an area of 144

square inches.
The owner of the house, Jacobie, wants to put a larger tile than the
standard size on his patio to change the look. The new tile he found is
a square with an area of 225 square inches.
What is the length of the side of the new size square slab?
How does this larger tile compare to the current tile used in the
patio?

Answer 1

Let's denote the length of the side of the larger square tile as "x". We know that the area of the larger tile is 225 square inches, so we can set up an equation:

x^2 = 225

Taking the square root of both sides, we can solve for x:

x = sqrt(225) = 15

Therefore, the length of the side of the larger square tile is 15 inches.

To compare the larger tile to the current tile used in the patio, we can calculate the length of the side of the current tile. We are given that the area of the current tile is 144 square inches, so we can set up another equation:

y^2 = 144

Taking the square root of both sides, we can solve for y:

y = sqrt(144) = 12

Therefore, the length of the side of the current tile is 12 inches.

Comparing the two tiles, we see that the larger tile has a side length of 15 inches, while the current tile has a side length of 12 inches. This means that the larger tile is bigger in size, and would cover more area than the current tile. However, it's important to note that Jacobie would need to ensure that the foundation of the patio is able to support the weight of the larger tile, and that the larger tile would fit properly within the layout of the patio.