SOLUTION: If the length of a rectangle is 2cm. longer than the width, and the rectangle's diagonal is the square root of 11 cm. Find the width of the rectangle.

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Question 688173: If the length of a rectangle is 2cm. longer than the width, and the rectangle's diagonal is the square root of 11 cm. Find the width of the rectangle.
Answer by stanbon(75887) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If the length of a rectangle is 2cm. longer than the width, and the rectangle's diagonal is the square root of 11 cm. Find the width of the rectangle.
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Let the width be "w".
Then the length is "w+2".
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Use Pythagoras
w^2 + (w+2)^2 = (sqrt(11))^2
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w^2 + w^2 + 4w + 4 = 11
2w^2 + 4w - 7 = 0
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w = [-4 +- sqrt(16 - 4*2*-7)]/4
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w = [-4+- sqrt(72)]/4
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w = [-4 +-6sqrt(2)]/4
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Positive solution:
w = [-4 + 6sqrt(2)]
width = 1.12 cm
length = 3.12 cm
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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