SOLUTION: A rectangular parcel of land is 20 m wide. The length of the diagonal between the opposite corners is 5 m more than the length of the parcel. What is the length of the parcel?

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Question 993629: A rectangular parcel of land is 20 m wide. The length of the diagonal between the opposite corners is 5 m more than the length of the parcel. What is the length of the parcel?
Found 2 solutions by stanbon, Cromlix:
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A rectangular parcel of land is 20 m wide. The length of the diagonal between the opposite corners is 5 m more than the length of the parcel. What is the length of the parcel?
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Draw the picture of the rectangle.
width = 20 m
length = x meters
diagonal = x+5 meters
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Solve for "x"::
(x+5)^2 = x^2 + 400
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x^2+10x + 25 = x^2 + 400
10x = 375
x = 37.5 meters (length)
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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Answer by Cromlix(4381) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Hi there,
Imagine you have a right angled triangle.
Width = 20 meters
Length = x
Diagonal = x + 5
(20)^2 + (x)^2 = (x + 5)^2
400 + x^2 = x^2 + 10x + 25
Collect like terms.
10x = 400 - 25
10x = 375
x = 37.5 meters
Length of parcel = 37.5 meters.
Hope this helps :-)