Solve the following problem:

If we square a certain number, we get a 24-digit number. What will be the number of digits in the original number?



Answer :

Certainly! Let's solve this step-by-step.

1. Understand the Problem: We are given that when a certain number is squared, it results in a 24-digit number. We need to find out how many digits are in the original number.

2. Relationship Between the Number of Digits in a Number and Its Square:
- If a number [tex]\( n \)[/tex] has [tex]\( d \)[/tex] digits, then when [tex]\( n \)[/tex] is squared, the resulting number will have approximately [tex]\( 2d \)[/tex] digits (it could be slightly less, but this estimation is usually sufficient for this type of problem).

3. Formula Application:
- Let [tex]\( d \)[/tex] be the number of digits in the original number.
- The number [tex]\( n^2 \)[/tex], which is the square of [tex]\( n \)[/tex], has 24 digits.

4. Set up the Equation:
- Since squaring a number roughly doubles the number of digits, we can write:
[tex]\[ 2d \approx 24 \][/tex]

5. Solve for [tex]\( d \)[/tex]:
- Divide both sides of the equation by 2 to isolate [tex]\( d \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ d \approx \frac{24}{2} \][/tex]
- Simplifying this, we get:
[tex]\[ d = 12 \][/tex]

6. Conclusion:
- Thus, the certain number has 12 digits.

So, when a number is squared to obtain a 24-digit number, the original number has 12 digits.