document.write( "Question 274883: My son has 2 problems.
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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
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document.write( "(2) Solve for x and y. 3X + 8y=-5 and x^2- 2XY=12.\r
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document.write( "Thank you. \n" );
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Algebra.Com's Answer #200591 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)![]() ![]() 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 \n" ); document.write( "; \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 = \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 = \n" ); document.write( "---------------------- eliminates y, find x \n" ); document.write( "7x + 0y = -5 + \n" ); document.write( "7x + 5 - \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 = \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 \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |