document.write( "Question 101842: When you measured your diagonal clothesline across your rectangular porch, you found that it was 1 foot longer than the length of the porch, and 8 ft longer than the width. What are the dimensions of your porch? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #74053 by edjones(8007)\"\" \"About 
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let d be the diagonal of the porch.
\n" ); document.write( "it is also the hypotenuse of a right triangle.
\n" ); document.write( "d=L+1...L=d-1
\n" ); document.write( "d=W+8...W=d-8
\n" ); document.write( "L^2+W^2=d^2 (pythagorean theorum)
\n" ); document.write( "(d-1)^2+(d-8)^2=d^2
\n" ); document.write( "d^2-2d+1+d^2-16d+64=d^2 Expand.
\n" ); document.write( "2d^2-18d+65=d^2 Combine terms.
\n" ); document.write( "d^2-18d+64=0 Subtract d^2 from each side.
\n" ); document.write( "(d-13)(d-5)=0
\n" ); document.write( "d=13' diagonal of the porch.
\n" ); document.write( "d=5 not an answer in this problem because W=d-8=5-8=-3 and W cannot be negative.
\n" ); document.write( "L=12' by W=5' are the dimensions fo the porch. Answer
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Check:
\n" ); document.write( "For d=13 L=13-1=12 W=13-8=5
\n" ); document.write( "12^2+5^2=144+25=169 13^2=169
\n" ); document.write( "Ed\r
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