document.write( "Question 1145923: a rectangular piece of cardboard measures 17cm by 14cm stripes of equal width are cutoff one side and one end. the area of the remaining piece is 108cm^2 find the width of the stripes removed?
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Algebra.Com's Answer #767202 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
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a rectangular piece of cardboard measures 17cm by 14cm
\n" ); document.write( " strips of equal width are cutoff one side and one end.
\n" ); document.write( " the area of the remaining piece is 108cm^2
\n" ); document.write( " find the width of the strips removed?
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\n" ); document.write( "let x = the width of the strips
\n" ); document.write( "(17-x)(14-x) = 108
\n" ); document.write( "FOIL
\n" ); document.write( "238 - 17x - 14x + x^2 = 108
\n" ); document.write( "combine like terms
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - 31x + 238 - 108 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - 31x + 130 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "you can use the quadratic formula, a=1; b=-31; c=130, but this will factor to:
\n" ); document.write( "(x-5)(x-26) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "x = 5 cm is the reasonable solution here.
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\n" ); document.write( "Check:
\n" ); document.write( " (17-5)*(14-5) =
\n" ); document.write( " 12 * 9 = 108\r
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