document.write( "Question 42172: I am stuck on this word problem and greatly need assistance! Thank you\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "A garden area is 30 ft long and 20 ft wide. A path of uniform width is set around the edge. If the remaining garden area is 400ft^2, what is the width of the path?
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #27356 by fractalier(6550)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Well let the path have a width x.
\n" ); document.write( "Then the garden with the path will have a length 30 + 2x and a width 20 + 2x.
\n" ); document.write( "Since the new area is 400, we have
\n" ); document.write( "A = LW
\n" ); document.write( "400 = (30 + 2x)(20 + 2x)
\n" ); document.write( "400 = 600 + 60x + 40x + 4x^2
\n" ); document.write( "now rearrange and get
\n" ); document.write( "4x^2 + 100x + 200 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 + 25x + 50 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "this does not factor so we use the quadratic
\n" ); document.write( "x = (-25 ± sqrt(625-200)) / 2
\n" ); document.write( "x = (-25 ± sqrt(425)) / 2
\n" ); document.write( "there does not seem to be a solution that works...perhaps you need to rephrase the problem correctly...
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );