document.write( "Question 120877: a park planner has sketched a rectanular park in the first quadrent of a coordinate grid. wo sides of the park lie on the x- and y-axes. a trapezoidal flower bed will be bounded by the line y=x+7, the x-axis, and the vertical lines x=1 and x=a, where a is greater than 1. The areaA of the trapezoid is modeled by A=1/2a squared+7a-15/2. assume the lengthsamong the axes are measured in meters. For what value of a will the trapezoid have an area of 25 meters? use the quadratic formula to find the answer \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #88716 by solver91311(24713)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\"A=%28%28a-1%29%28%28a%2B7%29%2B8%29%29%2F2\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"A=%28%28a-1%29%28a%2B15%29%29%2F2\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"A=%28a%5E2%2B14a-15%29%2F2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "You have an expression in terms of the variable a that represents the area, so all you need to do is set that expression equal to 25 and solve.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"A=%281%2F2%29a%5E2%2B7a-%2815%2F2%29\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%281%2F2%29a%5E2%2B7a-%2815%2F2%29=25\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Since fractional coefficients will be a pain when you evaluate the quadratic formula, multiply through by 2:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a%5E2%2B7a-15=50\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now add -50 to both sides to get the equation in standard form:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a%5E2%2B14a-65=0\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-14+%2B-+sqrt%28+14%5E2-4%2A1%2A%28-65%29+%29%29%2F%282%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-14+%2B-+sqrt%28+456+%29%29%2F%282%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-14+%2B-+2sqrt%28+114+%29%29%2F%282%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+-7%2B-+sqrt%28+114+%29+\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-7-sqrt%28114%29\" can be excluded because it is clearly less than zero and the problem conditions demand a > 1. So the correct and only answer is:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=-7%2Bsqrt%28114%29\", roughly 3.7\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Should you believe me? Not without checking, you shouldn't.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"A=%28%28%28-7%2Bsqrt%28114%29%29-1%29%28%28%28-7%2Bsqrt%28114%29%29%2B7%29%2B8%29%29%2F2\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"A=%28sqrt%28114%29-8%29%28sqrt%28114%29%2B8%29%2F2=%28114-64%29%2F2=50%2F2=25\" Answer checks
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