SOLUTION: I don't understand how you do this problem. The perimeter of a rectangle is 24 inches. Find the dimensions if its length is 3 inches greater than its width. Will you please just p

Algebra ->  Expressions-with-variables -> SOLUTION: I don't understand how you do this problem. The perimeter of a rectangle is 24 inches. Find the dimensions if its length is 3 inches greater than its width. Will you please just p      Log On


   

Question 53742: I don't understand how you do this problem. The perimeter of a rectangle is 24 inches. Find the dimensions if its length is 3 inches greater than its width.
Will you please just put this problem in numbers and letters not words? Thanx
Answer by aaaaaaaa(138) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Since your biggest problem seems to be converting the problem into an equation, I'll give that a bit more emphasis:
The perimeter of a rectangle is 24 inches. Find the dimensions if its length is 3 inches greater than its width.
Let's define what variables we'll need and what they stand for:
width = x (I named it x because I wanted to; length would work just as fine)
length = x+3 (The length is 3 inches greater than the width)
The perimeter of a rectangle is the sum of the length of all of its sides (width+width+height+height), therefore the perimeter of our rectangle is x%2Bx%2Bx%2B3%2Bx%2B3. Since we know that equals 24, we have an equation!
x%2Bx%2Bx%2B3%2Bx%2B3+=+24
4x+%2B+6+=+24
4x+=+18
x+=+18%2F4 or 4 1/2 inches. The length, therefore, is that number plus 3, or 7 1/2 inches.
Checking:
7 1/2 * 2 + 4 1/2 * 2 =
15 + 9 =
24