SOLUTION: The length of a rectangular piece of cardboard is 15 inches longer than its width. If a 5 inch square is cut from each corner of the cardboard, and the remaining piece is folded up

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Question 1089094: The length of a rectangular piece of cardboard is 15 inches longer than its width. If a 5 inch square is cut from each corner of the cardboard, and the remaining piece is folded up to form a box, the volume of the box is 2,250 cubic inches. Find the sum of the length and the width, in inches, of the original cardboard.
Answer by Boreal(15235) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
width is x
length is x+15
after cutting the 5 inch square, which involved both length and width twice
x-10 and x+5 are the dimensions
5 is the height
the volume is (x^2-5x-50)*5=2250
divide by 5 both sides
x^2-5x-50=450
x^2-5x-500=0
(x-25)(x+20)=0
x=25 inches, only positive root, original width.
x+15=40 inches, original length.
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Check.
Box is 15 inches wide by 30 inches long by 5 inches high, and that is a volume of 2250 in^3.