document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=286089>Question 286089</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The width of a rectangle is two less than its length. If the area is 48 cm squared, what are the measures of the rectangle's length and width? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #207463 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=mgmoeab><B>mgmoeab(37)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-07.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=mgmoeab><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=mgmoeab><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=207463\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Given:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "A= 48cm²\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "W = L - 2\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "You know the area of a rectangle is A = W x L\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Now, you can say:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "48cm² = W x L\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Substituting:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "48cm² = (L - 2) L\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "You end up with a quadratic equation:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "L² - 2L - 48 = 0\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "You can write this as:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "L² - 8L + 6L - 48 = 0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(L² - 8L) + (6L - 48) = 0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "L(L - 8) + 6 (L - 8) = 0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(L - 8)(L + 6) = 0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "For this product to be true, one of them must be zero, so:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "L - 8 = 0 ; L = 8<BR>\n" );
document.write( "L + 6 = 0 ; L = -6  ** WE NEGLECT THE NEGATIVE ROOT.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Now that we have the length of the rectangle, we substitute this in  W = L - 2, and:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "W = 8 - 6 = 2\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "w = 8 - 2 = 6 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );