SOLUTION: The length of a rectangular playing field is 5 feet less than twice its width. If the perimeter of the playing field is 230 feet, find the length and width of the field.

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Question 99614: The length of a rectangular playing field is 5 feet less than twice its width. If the perimeter of the playing field is 230 feet, find the length and width of the field.
Answer by Adam(64) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
We denote width by x. twice the length means 2%2Ax and 5 less then twice the length - 2%2Ax-5, formula for perimeter is 2*length+2*width subsituting our results - 2%2A%282%2Ax-5%29%2B2%2Ax+=+P
4*x-10+2*x=230
4*x+2*x=230+10
6*x=240
x = 40
we can check by inserting into 2%2A%282%2Ax-5%29%2B2%2Ax+=+230
2*(2*40-5)+2*40
160-10+80 = 150+80 = 230 wow, it agrees!(I didn't expect that....)
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Here is what it looks like:
drawing%28+400%2C+300%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-10%2C+10%2C%0D%0Arectangle%28-8%2C+2%2C+0%2C+-4+%29++++++%0D%0A+locate%28-15%2C5%2C2%2Ax-5%29%0D%0A+locate%28-8%2C0%2Cx%29%0D%0A+%29