SOLUTION: I don't understand how to tell the base from the height in this problem: Build a lot whose area is x^2+3x+5x+15 I am suppose to draw a diagram that fits this description and

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Question 581628: I don't understand how to tell the base from the height in this problem:
Build a lot whose area is x^2+3x+5x+15
I am suppose to draw a diagram that fits this description and say what the length and height is in terms of x.
Can you help me?
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The idea here is to factor this expression

x%5E2%2B3x%2B5x%2B15 Start with the given expression


%28x%5E2%2B3x%29%2B%285x%2B15%29 Group the terms in two pairs


x%28x%2B3%29%2B5%28x%2B3%29 Factor out the GCF x out of the first group. Factor out the GCF 5 out of the second group


%28x%2B5%29%28x%2B3%29 Since we have the common term x%2B3, we can combine like terms


So x%5E2%2B3x%2B5x%2B15 factors to %28x%2B5%29%28x%2B3%29


In other words, x%5E2%2B3x%2B5x%2B15=%28x%2B5%29%28x%2B3%29


So because x%5E2%2B3x%2B5x%2B15 factors to %28x%2B5%29%28x%2B3%29, this means that the length and width are x+5 and x+3 units