document.write( "Question 274883: My son has 2 problems.
\n" ); document.write( "(1) A boy is mowing a field 40 rods and 20 rods rectangular. How wide a border must he cut in order that 3/4 of the mowing will have been completed?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(2) Solve for x and y. 3X + 8y=-5 and x^2- 2XY=12.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Thank you.
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Algebra.Com's Answer #200591 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
(1) A boy is mowing a field 40 rods and 20 rods rectangular.
\n" ); document.write( " How wide a border must he cut in order that 3/4 of the mowing will have been completed?
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Find the area of the field, 40 * 20 = 800 sq/rds
\n" ); document.write( "Mowed area has to equal .75(800) = 600 sq/rds
\n" ); document.write( "That leaves 200 sq/rds unmowed
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "let x = the width of the swath around the unmowed area
\n" ); document.write( "unmowed length * unmowed width = 200 sq/rd
\n" ); document.write( "(40-2x)*(20-2x) = 200
\n" ); document.write( "FOIL
\n" ); document.write( "800 - 80x - 40x + 4x^2 = 200
\n" ); document.write( "Arrange as a quadratic equation
\n" ); document.write( "4x^2 - 120x + 800 - 200 = 0
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "4x^2 - 120x + 600 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Simplify, divide by 4
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - 30x + 150 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Use the quadratic formula to solve for x, (only one solution will make sense)
\n" ); document.write( "a=1, b=-30, c=150
\n" ); document.write( "I got x ~ 6.34 rods is the width to mowed
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\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "(2) Solve for x and y.
\n" ); document.write( "3X + 8y =-5 and x^2- 2XY = 12.
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "try to get the 2nd equation in a form where we can eliminate y
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - 2xy = 12
\n" ); document.write( "x(x - 2y) = 12
\n" ); document.write( "x - 2y = \"12%2Fx\"
\n" ); document.write( "Multiply by 4 and add the 1st equation
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "3x + 8y = -5
\n" ); document.write( "4x - 8y = \"48%2Fx\"
\n" ); document.write( "---------------------- eliminates y, find x
\n" ); document.write( "7x + 0y = -5 + \"48%2Fx\"
\n" ); document.write( "7x + 5 - \"48%2Fx\" = 0
\n" ); document.write( "multiply by x
\n" ); document.write( "7x^2 + 5x - 48 = 0; hopefully an equation we can factor
\n" ); document.write( "(7x-16)(x+3) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Two solutions
\n" ); document.write( "7x = 16
\n" ); document.write( "and
\n" ); document.write( "x = -3
\n" ); document.write( "Use the integer solution in the 1st equation to find y
\n" ); document.write( "3x + 8y = -5
\n" ); document.write( "3(-3) + 8y = -5
\n" ); document.write( "-9 + 8y = -5
\n" ); document.write( "8y = -5 + 9
\n" ); document.write( "8y = +4
\n" ); document.write( "y = \"4%2F8\"
\n" ); document.write( "y = +.5
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Our solution: x=-3; y=+.5
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "See if that works in the 2nd equation
\n" ); document.write( "x^2- 2XY = 12.
\n" ); document.write( "-3^2 - 2*-3*.5 = 12
\n" ); document.write( "9 - (-3) = 12
\n" ); document.write( "9 + 3 = 12; so it works, the value x = 16/7 may work too, but you can check that out yourself\r
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