SOLUTION: The total area of the tennis court is 228 ft. The length is 60 more than twice the width. The answer should be 36x78. Find the equation.

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Question 335337: The total area of the tennis court is 228 ft. The length is 60 more than twice the width. The answer should be 36x78. Find the equation.
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

First of all, the area of the tennis court is NOT 228 feet. It is 228 square feet. Yes, it matters.

Let feet represent the measure of the width. Then feet represents the measure of the length. The area is the length times the width.

See, you are multiplying feet times feet -- it has to be square feet.

Distribute and put the equation into standard form:

Now just solve the quadratic. You will have to use the quadratic formula because this doesn't factor. However, read on.

Either your answer is wrong (though the numbers seem reasonable for my idea of the proportions of a tennis court) or the parameters of the problem are WAY out of whack. If your answer is indeed correct, then the problem should read:

The total area of the tennis court is 2808 square ft. The length is 6 more than twice the width.

Given that, your quadratic would be:

Which does have a positive root at 36.

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it