SOLUTION: The diagonal of the floor of a rectangular office cubicle is 2 ft longer than the length of the cubicle and 5 ft longer than twice the width. Find the dimensions of the cubicle.

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: The diagonal of the floor of a rectangular office cubicle is 2 ft longer than the length of the cubicle and 5 ft longer than twice the width. Find the dimensions of the cubicle.      Log On


   



Question 1179618: The diagonal of the floor of a rectangular office cubicle is 2 ft longer than the length of the cubicle and 5 ft longer than twice the width. Find the dimensions of the cubicle.
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, MathLover1:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39620) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
system%28d=L%2B2%2Cd=2w%2B5%29

Better if have equation in just one variable.
system%28L=d-2%2Cw=%28d-5%29%2F2%29


The description is enough to find a right triangle, diagonal being hypotenuse.
d%5E2=%28d-2%29%5E2%2B%28%28d-5%29%2F2%29%5E2-----simplify and solve this....

Answer by MathLover1(20850) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

The diagonal of a rectangle is 2+ft longer than its length and 5+ft longer than twice its width.
What are the dimensions of the rectangle?
Since the diagonal divides rectangle into two righttrianles, we will use Pythagoras%27+Theorem+ in order to find the dimensions of the rectangle.
In algebraic terms, a%5E2+%2B+b%5E2+=+c%5E2where c is the hypotenuse ( in your case the diagonal) while a and b+are the legs of the triangle (in your case the lenght and width).
given:
c+=+a+%2B+2 => a+=+c++-++2
c+=+2b+%2B+5 => b+=+%28c++-++5%29%2F2

we will substitute it in:
c%5E2+=+a%5E2+%2B+b%5E2
c%5E2+=+%28c-2%29%5E2+%2B+%28%28c++-++5%29%2F2%29%5E2
c%5E2+=+%285c%5E2%29%2F4+-+%2813+c%29%2F2+%2B+41%2F4
4c%5E2+=+5c%5E2++-++26c+%2B41
0+=+5c%5E2-4c%5E2++-++26c+%2B41
c%5E2+-26c+%2B+41+=+0
c=%28-%28-26%29+%2B-+sqrt+%28%28-26%29%5E2+-4%2A1%2A41+%29%29+%2F+%282%2A1%29
c=%2826+%2B-+sqrt+%28512+%29%29+%2F2
c=%2826+%2B-+16sqrt+%282+%29%29+%2F2
We need only positive root =>
c=%2826+%2B+16sqrt+%282+%29%29+%2F2
c+=+13+%2B+8+sqrt%282%29
c=24.3ft


a+=+c++-++2ft
=> a+=+24.3ft++-++2ft+=+22.3ft
b+=+%28c++-++5ft%29%2F2
b+=+%2824.3ft++-++5ft%29%2F2
=> b+=+9.7ft
Check:
%2824.3%29%5E2+=+%2822.3%29%5E2+%2B+%289.7%29%5E2
590.49+=+591.3..round to whole number
591+=+591