# Math Help - Roots word problem

1. ## Roots word problem

I can't figure out how i need to set up the equation in this problem.

The Japanese game of Tai Shogi is an expanded version of chess. Like chess, it is played on a square board covered with small squares. If each small square has a side length of 2 cm, the diagonal of the whole board measures $\sqrt5000$cm. How many squares are on the board?

Do i have to figure out the ares of the small squares (which is obviously 4) and then do something with that??
I'm not quite sure how to figure out the amount of individual squares.

2. Originally Posted by t-dot
I can't figure out how i need to set up the equation in this problem.

The Japanese game of Tai Shogi is an expanded version of chess. Like chess, it is played on a square board covered with small squares. If each small square has a side length of 2 cm, the diagonal of the whole board measures $\sqrt5000$cm. How many squares are on the board?

Do i have to figure out the ares of the small squares (which is obviously 4) and then do something with that??
I'm not quite sure how to figure out the amount of individual squares.
did you draw a diagram? notice that the diagonal will divide the square board into two right-triangles (note that they will be isosceles
right-triangles). use Pythagoras' theorem to find the length of either side, then we can take it from there

3. OH... YES... you are right..
drawing a diagram would be the smart thing to do

4. You can also notice that an isosceles right triangle has sides $x, x, x\sqrt{2}$ and when you get the side lengths don't forget to divide by 2 because each side length is 2.

$LaTeX$ tip: Put brackets {} around what you want to put in the square root box.