SOLUTION: Joe Goodnuff had been eating on a square card table until he bought a new rectangular dining table. The new table is 2 ft longer and 1 ft wider than the card table. It has an area

Algebra ->  Quadratic Equations and Parabolas  -> Quadratic Equations Lessons -> SOLUTION: Joe Goodnuff had been eating on a square card table until he bought a new rectangular dining table. The new table is 2 ft longer and 1 ft wider than the card table. It has an area       Log On


   

Question 970358: Joe Goodnuff had been eating on a square card table until he bought a new rectangular dining table. The new table is 2 ft longer and 1 ft wider than the card table. It has an area of 24.75 ft^2. How long was a side of his old square card table? Use the quadratic equation to solve this word problem.
Answer by amarjeeth123(569) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let the dimensions of the square card table be x.
Then the length of the rectangular table is (x+2).
Then the width of the rectangular table is (x+1).
We have Area=Length*width
(x+2)(x+1)=24.75
x^2+3x+2=24.75
x^2+3x-22.75=0
x^2+6.5x-3.5x-22.75=0
x(x+6.5)-3.5(x+6.5)=0
(x+6.5)(x-3.5)=0
x=3.5 ft.
The side of the old square table is 3.5 feet.