document.write( "Question 148820This question is from textbook Elementary and Intermediate Algebra
\n" ); document.write( ": Rectangular stage. One side of a rectangular stage is 2 meters longer than the other. If the diagonal is 10 meters, than what are the lengths of the sides? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #109173 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let x=length of one side and y=length of other side\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Since \"One side of a rectangular stage is 2 meters longer than the other\", this means that \"y=x%2B2\" (note: the order does not matter). Also, since the \"diagonal is 10 meters\", we can use Pythagoreans Theorem to get\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2By%5E2=10%5E2\" which becomes \"x%5E2%2By%5E2=100\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2By%5E2=100\" Start with the second equation.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2B%28x%2B2%29%5E2=100\" Plug in \"y=x%2B2\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2Bx%5E2%2B4x%2B4=100\" Foil.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2Bx%5E2%2B4x%2B4-100=0\" Get all terms to the left side.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2x%5E2%2B4x-96=0\" Combine like terms.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice we have a quadratic equation in the form of \"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc\" where \"a=2\", \"b=4\", and \"c=-96\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let's use the quadratic formula to solve for x\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F%282a%29\" Start with the quadratic formula\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-%284%29+%2B-+sqrt%28+%284%29%5E2-4%282%29%28-96%29+%29%29%2F%282%282%29%29\" Plug in \"a=2\", \"b=4\", and \"c=-96\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+16-4%282%29%28-96%29+%29%29%2F%282%282%29%29\" Square \"4\" to get \"16\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+16--768+%29%29%2F%282%282%29%29\" Multiply \"4%282%29%28-96%29\" to get \"-768\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+16%2B768+%29%29%2F%282%282%29%29\" Rewrite \"sqrt%2816--768%29\" as \"sqrt%2816%2B768%29\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+784+%29%29%2F%282%282%29%29\" Add \"16\" to \"768\" to get \"784\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+784+%29%29%2F%284%29\" Multiply \"2\" and \"2\" to get \"4\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+28%29%2F%284%29\" Take the square root of \"784\" to get \"28\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B+28%29%2F%284%29\" or \"x+=+%28-4+-+28%29%2F%284%29\" Break up the expression. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%2824%29%2F%284%29\" or \"x+=++%28-32%29%2F%284%29\" Combine like terms. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+6\" or \"x+=+-8\" Simplify. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the possible answers are \"x+=+6\" or \"x+=+-8\" \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "However, since a negative length is not possible, this means that the only answer is \"x+=+6\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=x%2B2\" Go back to the first equation.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=6%2B2\" Plug in \"x+=+6\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=8\" Add.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the dimensions of the rectangle are 6 and 8
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );