Find the sum of all possible values of a side of a triangle given a similar triangles side and area

triangles

Question:

The difference in the areas of two similar triangles is 48 square feet, and the ratio of the larger area to the smaller is the square of an integer. The area of the smaller triangle, in square feet, is an integer, and one of its sides is 3 feet. What is the sum of all possible values of the corresponding side of the larger triangle, in feet?

What I did was $$\frac{x+48}{x} = y^2$$where y is the ratio. You can solve y for 2, 3, 5, 7, which then I multiplied by 3 to get the sum of all possible side lengths. The answer key says this is wrong. Is this answer key wrong, or am I doing something wrong?

Best Answer

Use this formula

$$\frac{x+48}{x} = y^2$$

This means $x$ would have to be a factor of $48$.

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