SOLUTION: Gloria had a rectangular garden plot last year with an area of 60 square feet. This year gloria's garden plot is one foot wider and three feet shorter than last year's garden, but

Question 63969: Gloria had a rectangular garden plot last year with an area of 60 square feet. This year gloria's garden plot is one foot wider and three feet shorter than last year's garden, but it has the same area. What were the dimensions of the garden last year?
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Gloria had a rectangular garden plot last year with an area of 60 square feet. This year gloria's garden plot is one foot wider and three feet shorter than last year's garden, but it has the same area. What were the dimensions of the garden last year?
---------------------
OLD GARDEN DATA:
Area = (length)(width)
Let old length be "x".
Then x(width)=60
and old width = 60/x
---------------
NEW GARDEN DATA:
width = (60/x)+1
length = x-3
-----------------
EQUATION:
(new length)(new width)=60
[(60/x)+1][x-3]=60
[(60+x)/x][x-3]=60
(60+x)(x-3)=60x
x^2+57x-180=60x
x^2+-3x-180=0
(x-15)(x+12)=0
x=15 ft. (old length)
old width = 60/15 +1 = 5 ft.
Cheers,
Stan H.
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