document.write( "Question 860081: A rectangular garden is 30 ft by 40 ft. Part of the garden is removed in order to install a walkway of uniform width around it. The area of the new garden is one-half the area of the old garden. How wide is the walkway? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #518308 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
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A rectangular garden is 30 ft by 40 ft.
\n" ); document.write( " Part of the garden is removed in order to install a walkway of uniform width around it.
\n" ); document.write( " The area of the new garden is one-half the area of the old garden.
\n" ); document.write( " How wide is the walkway?
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Find the original area of the garden
\n" ); document.write( "30 * 40 = 1200; new area will be half, 600 sq/ft
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Let x = the width of the walkway, this subtracts 2x from both dimensions
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "(30-2x)(40-2x) = 600
\n" ); document.write( "FOIL
\n" ); document.write( "1200 - 60x - 80x + 4x^2 = 600
\n" ); document.write( "4x^2 - 140x + 1200 - 600 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "4x^2 - 140x + 600 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "simplify, divide by 4
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - 35x + 150 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Factors to
\n" ); document.write( "(x-5)(x-30) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Two solutions
\n" ); document.write( "x = 5
\n" ); document.write( "x = 30
\n" ); document.write( "the reasonable solution
\n" ); document.write( "x = 5 ft is the width of the walkway \n" ); document.write( "
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