The perimeter of one square is 48 cm and that of another is 20 cm. Find the diagonal of a square whose area equals the combined area of these two.
Answer: B
Convert each perimeter to a side, then add the areas.
\[ a_{1} = \frac{48}{4} = 12 \text{ cm}, \qquad a_{2} = \frac{20}{4} = 5 \text{ cm} \]
\[ A = 12^{2} + 5^{2} = 144 + 25 = 169 \text{ cm}^{2} \]
\[ a = \sqrt{169} = 13 \text{ cm} \]
\[ \text{diagonal} = a\sqrt{2} = 13\sqrt{2} \text{ cm} \]
The perimeter of the combined square is 52 cm - not the sum 68 cm of the two originals, since areas add but perimeters do not.
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