SOLUTION: A garden measuring 12 meters by 20 meters is to have a pedestrian pathway installed all around it, increasing the total area to 408.36 square meters. What will be the width of the

Algebra ->  Quadratic Equations and Parabolas  -> Quadratic Equations Lessons  -> Quadratic Equation Lesson -> SOLUTION: A garden measuring 12 meters by 20 meters is to have a pedestrian pathway installed all around it, increasing the total area to 408.36 square meters. What will be the width of the       Log On


   

Question 797298: A garden measuring 12 meters by 20 meters is to have a pedestrian pathway installed all around it, increasing the total area to 408.36 square meters. What will be the width of the pathway?
Answer by solver91311(24713) About Me  (Show Source):
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Length of a rectangular area:

Width of a rectangular area:

Width of a uniform-width enclosing area:

Overall length is then:

Overall width is then:

(Note factor of 2 because the width of the enclosing area is on all four sides)

Total Area is then

Plug in your numbers for and , FOIL the two binomials, and then solve the resulting quadratic for . If you happen to get a negative root (and you will given correct arithmetic), discard it.

John

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