Answer
$4$ inches
Work Step by Step
Step 1. Let the length of a side of the original square be $x$ inches; the new, larger square will have a side length of $x+2$ inches.
Step 2. The area of the larger square is given by $(x+2)^2=36$; thus we have $x+2=\pm6$ and $x=4$ inches (discard the negative solution).
