Question

a student’s family has a square - shaped patio in their backyard. the patio with side length ( s ) has an area of 196 square feet. the equation below shows the area of the square - shaped patio. what is the length, in feet, of each side of the patio? enter your answer in the box.

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the formula for the area of a square

The area \( A \) of a square with side length \( s \) is given by the formula \( A = s^2 \). We know the area \( A = 196 \) square feet, so we have the equation \( s^2=196 \).

Step2: Solve for \( s \)

To find the side length \( s \), we take the square root of both sides of the equation \( s^2 = 196 \). The square root of a number \( x \) is a value \( y \) such that \( y^2=x \). So, \( s=\sqrt{196} \). Since \( 14\times14 = 196 \), we have \( \sqrt{196}=14 \). We consider the positive square root because side length cannot be negative.

Answer:

The length of each side of the patio is 14 feet.