The formula of the area is:
[tex] A = s^{2} [/tex]
Where s stands for side.
So if the area is 36, the lenght of the side must be:
[tex] s = \sqrt{36} [/tex]
[tex] \bf~s = 6 [/tex]
So if 6 is the side of the original square plus 5, than the original lenght of the side is:
6 - 5 = 1 inch
Hope it helped,
BioTeacher101