SOLUTION: please help me solve this a rectangle piece of cardboard measure 17m by 14m. stripes of equal width area cut off one side and one end. the area of the remaining piece is 102cm. f

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Misc -> SOLUTION: please help me solve this a rectangle piece of cardboard measure 17m by 14m. stripes of equal width area cut off one side and one end. the area of the remaining piece is 102cm. f      Log On

Ad: Over 600 Algebra Word Problems at edhelper.com


    

Question 1127488: please help me solve this
a rectangle piece of cardboard measure 17m by 14m. stripes of equal width area cut off one side and one end. the area of the remaining piece is 102cm. find the width of the stripes removed.
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
a rectangle piece of cardboard measure 17m by 14m.
stripes of equal width area cut off one side and one end. the area of the remaining piece is 102 sq/cm.
find the width of the stripes removed.
:
Making a drawing of this will help
Find the area of the card board: 17 * 14 = 238 sq/cm
Find the area of the strips: 238 - 102 = 136 sq cm
:
let x = the width of strip
then
Area of one strip = 17x
Area of the other strip = x(14-x)
:
17x + x(14-x) = 136
17x + 14x - x^2 = 136
A quadratic equation
-x^2 + 31x - 136 = 0
multiply equation by -1
x^2 - 31x + 136 = 0
Use the quadratic formula to find x: a=1; b=-31; c=136
The resonable solution I got
5.29 cm is the width of the stips