document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=95403>Question 95403</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The opposite sides of any rectangle are equal.  If a rectangle is twice as long as it is wide and its perimeter is 48 inches, how wide is it?  How long? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #69540 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><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/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=69540\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Let L represent the length and W represent the width.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The problem tells you that the length L equals twice the width or 2W. In equation form this<BR>\n" );
document.write( "is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "L = 2W<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "From the definition of perimeter, we know that the perimeter P of a rectangle is given by<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the equation:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "L + W + L + W = P<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "If we add the common terms on the left side we get 2L + 2W so the equation for the perimeter <BR>\n" );
document.write( "becomes:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2L + 2W = P<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "But earlier we found that L = 2W so we can substitute 2W for L and make the perimeter<BR>\n" );
document.write( "equation become:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2(2W) + 2W = P<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Multiplying 2 times 2W on the left side results in:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "4W + 2W = P<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then we can combine the terms on the left side to get 6W and we can substitute 48 inches<BR>\n" );
document.write( "for P (which was given in the problem). As a result the perimeter equation becomes:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "6W = 48<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Solve for W by dividing both sides of the equation by 6 which is the multiplier of W.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "This division of both sides by 6 results in:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "W = 48/6 = 8<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So we have that the width W is 8 inches. And the problem tells us that the length L <BR>\n" );
document.write( "is twice that, so the length is 2 times 8 or 16 inches.  Therefore, the rectangle <BR>\n" );
document.write( "has 2 sides each 8 inches long, and 2 sides each 16 inches long. That makes the perimeter<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(the sum of the 4 sides) equal to 8 + 8 + 16 + 16 = 48 inches.  This checks, so our answer<BR>\n" );
document.write( "is correct. Width = 8 inches and Length = 16 inches.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem and to see how it can be worked to find the answer.<BR>\n" );
document.write( ". </SPAN>\n" );
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