document.write( "Question 1162373: The owners of the rectangular swimming pool in the illustration want to surround the pool with a crushed-stone border of uniform width. They have enough stone to cover 62 square meters. How wide should they make the border? (Hint: The area of the larger rectangle minus the area of the smaller is the area of the border. Assume a = 21 m and b = 8 m.)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Word problems aren't my forte, but I'm trying to understand them better. Thanks again for your help. You don't necessarily have to give me the solution but if you substitute the numbers in the question and give me a different one I'll be able to understand and figure it out for future similar questions. Thanks! \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #786146 by ikleyn(52781) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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document.write( "The area of the border is the difference of the area of the larger rectangle and the smaller rectangle.\r\n" );
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document.write( "The dimensions of the smaller rectangle are given: they are 21 meter and 8 meters.\r\n" );
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document.write( "If the uniform width of the border is w (as it is shown in your picture), then the dimensions \r\n" );
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document.write( "of the larger rectangle are  21+2w  and  8+2w meters.\r\n" );
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document.write( "So the area of the larger rectangle is  (21+2w)*(8+2w) square meters;\r\n" );
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document.write( "   the area of the smaller rectangle is  21*8 square meters.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Having this, you can write the equation for the border area\r\n" );
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document.write( "    (21+2w)*(8+2w) - 21*8 = 62  square meters.\r\n" );
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document.write( "At this point, the setup is completed.\r\n" );
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document.write( "You have the equation to find w.\r\n" );
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document.write( "This equation is quadratic relative the unknown w.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Reduce/simplify it to the standard form quadratic equation, and then solve it EITHER using the quadratic formula \r\n" );
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document.write( "OR by factoring, if it works.\r\n" );
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document.write( "I hope that from this point you will be able to complete the solution on your own.\r\n" );
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document.write( "If not - then let me know.\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "To see many other similar solved problems, see the lessons\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " - Problems on the area and the dimensions of a rectangle surrounded by a strip\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Happy learning (!)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Come again to this forum soon to learn something new (!)\r
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