document.write( "Question 861680: A rectangle is drawn so that the width is 4 feet shorter than the length. The area of the rectangle is 12 square feet. Find the length of the rectangle. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #519167 by josgarithmetic(39617)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Common enough to be worth generalizing.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "width w, length L.
\n" ); document.write( "Width is soe k feet shorter than length, or w=L-k.
\n" ); document.write( "Area is given, and may be called A.
\n" ); document.write( "The unknown variables are L and w.
\n" ); document.write( "(A=12 and k=4).\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"wL=A\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"%28L-k%29L=A\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"L%5E2-kL-A=0\"
\n" ); document.write( "-
\n" ); document.write( "Note that your given values for area and for k may render the quadratic equation in L as factorable. In GENERAL, you cannot rely on factorizability.
\n" ); document.write( "General Solution to Quadratic Equation gives for L,
\n" ); document.write( "\"L=%28k%2Bsqrt%28k%5E2-4%28-A%29%29%29%2F2\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"highlight%28highlight_green%28L=%28k%2Bsqrt%28k%5E2%2B4A%29%29%2F2%29%29\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "You can substitute the values for A and k to compute L.
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