SOLUTION: Hello, I'm having a hard time solving this problem: The length of a rectangular quilt is 1 foot more than its width. If the diagonal of the quilt is 6.5 feet, find the length and

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Question 913631: Hello, I'm having a hard time solving this problem:
The length of a rectangular quilt is 1 foot more than its width. If the diagonal of the quilt is 6.5 feet, find the length and width of the quilt?
Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
let width be x
length = (x+1)
diagonal is the hypotenuse
Pythagoras theorem
x^2+(x+1)^2=6.5^2
x^2+x^2+2x+1=42.25
2x^2+2x-41.25=0
You have to solve it by formula method
Find the roots of the equation by quadratic formula

a= 2 b= 2 c= -41 1/4

b^2-4ac= 4 - -330
b^2-4ac= 334 sqrt%28%09334++++%09%29= 18 2/7
x=%28-b%2B-sqrt%28b%5E2-4ac%29%29%2F%282a%29
x1=%28-b%2Bsqrt%28b%5E2-4ac%29%29%2F%282a%29
x1=( -2 + 18 2/7 )/ 4
x1= 4 1/9
x2=( -2 -18 2/7 ) / 4
x2= -5 1/9
Ignore negative value mph
x = 4 1/9
width is 4 1/9 feet
length = 5 1/9 feet