help with a problem dealing with area of squares....

Question

lana_mk · Answer

attachment

lana_mk · Answer

Picture included please helpppppp!!!

phi · Answer

any idea how to find the area of the small white square ?

lana_mk · Answer

multiple two sides..

phi · Answer

what is the length of a side of the small white square ?

phi · Answer

they tell you in the picture. what does it say?

lana_mk · Answer

is it s?

phi · Answer

yes.  the side is "s" long.  but in algebra we can use letters.
in a square all the sides are the same length, so they are all "s"

now multiply length * height
can you do that?

lana_mk · Answer

would it be s*p

phi · Answer

no.  the area of a square is its width * height
or side * side (because they are the same )
p has nothing to do with the small square.

the small square has sides of length "s"
what is its area?

lana_mk · Answer

$$s ^{2}$$

phi · Answer

yes, s*s  or s^2 

now, any idea what the area of the big square is ?

phi · Answer

what is the length of the side of the big square?  they tell you in the picture.

lana_mk · Answer

p^2

phi · Answer

ok

next, we notice that the "purple" part is not the whole big square

notice the while square plus the purple part adds up to the big square.

phi · Answer

if we start with the area of the big square and subtract off the area of the white square, we will get what is leftover... the area of the purple part

lana_mk · Answer

so p^2-s^2= area of purple part?

phi · Answer

yes.  does that make sense?

lana_mk · Answer

Yes thank you so much :)