document.write( "Question 168149: This one has been answered but the answer does not make sense. I emailed the tutor and have not heard back. Will someone please take a look at this for me?
\n" );
document.write( "Thanks\r
\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "A square mat has a uniform red border on all four sides. The rest of the mat is blue. The width of the blue square is three-fourths the width of the entire square. If the area colored red is 28 m squared, determine the lengths of each side of the mat. \n" );
document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #123917 by nerdybill(7384)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! A square mat has a uniform red border on all four sides. The rest of the mat is blue. The width of the blue square is three-fourths the width of the entire square. If the area colored red is 28 m squared, determine the lengths of each side of the mat. \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Let x = length of one side of mat \n" ); document.write( "and y = width of red border \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "From: \"The width of the blue square is three-fourths the width of the entire square.\" we get equation 1: \n" ); document.write( "x-2y = (3/4)x \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "From:\"area colored red is 28 m squared\" we get equation 2: \n" ); document.write( "\"area of mat\" - \"area of blue\" = \"area of red\" \n" ); document.write( "x^2 - (x-2y)^2 = 28 \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Solve equation 1 for y: \n" ); document.write( "x-2y = (3/4)x \n" ); document.write( "-2y = (3/4)x - x \n" ); document.write( "-2y = -.25x \n" ); document.write( "y = 0.125x \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Substitute the above into equation 2 and solve for x: \n" ); document.write( "x^2 - (x-2y)^2 = 28 \n" ); document.write( "x^2 - (x-2(0.125x))^2 = 28 \n" ); document.write( "x^2 - (x-.25x)^2 = 28 \n" ); document.write( "x^2 - (.75x)^2 = 28 \n" ); document.write( "x^2 - 0.5625x^2 = 28 \n" ); document.write( "0.4375x^2 = 28 \n" ); document.write( "x^2 = 64 \n" ); document.write( "x = (+-)8 \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Well, we can throw out the negative answer leaving: \n" ); document.write( "x = 8 meters \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |