SOLUTION: a rectangular building is 15m long by 11m wide. a concrete path of constant width is laid all the way around the building. if the area of the path is 60.0m2, calculate the width.

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Geometry -> SOLUTION: a rectangular building is 15m long by 11m wide. a concrete path of constant width is laid all the way around the building. if the area of the path is 60.0m2, calculate the width.      Log On

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Question 550219: a rectangular building is 15m long by 11m wide.
a concrete path of constant width is laid all the way around the building.
if the area of the path is 60.0m2, calculate the width.
Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let the width of sidewalk be x
..
Length of garden = 15
Width = 11

Area = 165 M^2
Area of sidewalk = 60 M^2
Length of ground + sidewalk = 15 + 2 x
width of ground + sidewalk = 12+2x

(15+2x )(11+2x)-60=165

165+30x +22x+4x^2-60= 165
4X^2+52 x-60=0
Find the roots of the equation by quadratic formula
a= 4 b= 52 c= -60
b^2-4ac= 2704 + 960
b^2-4ac=3664
sqrt%28%093664%09%29= 60.53
x=%28-b%2B-sqrt%28b%5E2-4ac%29%29%2F%282a%29
x1=%28-b%2Bsqrt%28b%5E2-4ac%29%29%2F%282a%29
x1=( -52 + 60.53 )/ 8
x1= 1.07
x2=( -52 -60.53 ) / 8
x2= -14.07
Ignore negative value
width = 1.07 m