SOLUTION: A rectangle has an area of 96 square feet. If the length is 4 feet more than the width, use a quadratic equation to find the dimensions.
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Question 374906: A rectangle has an area of 96 square feet. If the length is 4 feet more than the width, use a quadratic equation to find the dimensions. Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
Let represent the width of the rectangle. Then must represent the length. The area of a rectangle is the length times the width, hence:
For any quadratic equation in the form:
the solutions are given by:
In your case:
, , and
Make the appropriate substitutions and do the indicated arithmetic. Properly performed, the operation will result in a positive and a negative root. Since you are attempting to determine a positive measure of length, discard the negative root. The positive root is the width and the width plus 4 is the length.
John
My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it
