SOLUTION: A rectangular piece of metal is 15 inches longer than it is wide. Square with sides 3 inches long are cut from the four corners and the flaps are folded upward and taped to form an

Question 946856: A rectangular piece of metal is 15 inches longer than it is wide. Square with sides 3 inches long are cut from the four corners and the flaps are folded upward and taped to form an open-topped box. If the volume of the box is 648 cubic inches, what was the original width (shorter side) of the piece of metal?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39617) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Just to begin,
w, the width
L, the length
L=w+15
h, the side length of the squares cut out
h=3
v, the volume of the box when the flaps folded
v=648
The only true unknown here is the width, w.

The bottom area will be ;
The volume will be ;
Substitute for L, and simplify. This should be a quadratic equation in the symbolic form with w being the only unknown variable.

You would solve the resulting quadratic equation in w, and plugin the known values any time you are ready.
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