SOLUTION: The length of a Ping-Pong table is 2 feet less than twice the width. The area of the Ping-Pong table is 40 square feet. What are the dimensions of the table?

Algebra ->  Polynomials-and-rational-expressions -> SOLUTION: The length of a Ping-Pong table is 2 feet less than twice the width. The area of the Ping-Pong table is 40 square feet. What are the dimensions of the table?      Log On


   

Question 1165642: The length of a Ping-Pong table is 2 feet less than twice the width. The area of the Ping-Pong table is 40 square feet. What are the dimensions of the table?
Answer by greenestamps(13200) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


An area of 40 probably means either 4x10 or 5x8; see if either of those satisfies the given conditions.

Yes; 5x8. The length, 8, is 2 less than twice the width, 5.

Presumably you are supposed to solve the problem using formal algebra....

Let x be the width; then the length is 2x-2 (2 less than twice the width).

The area is 40:

x%282x-2%29+=+40
x%28x-1%29+=+20
x%5E2-x+=+20
x%5E2-x-20+=+0
%28x-5%29%28x%2B4%29+=+0
x+=+5 or x+=+-4

Obviously the negative solution makes no sense in the given problem.

ANSWER: width = x = 5; length = 2x-2 = 8.