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| Question 640428:  3) The length of a rectangle is 2 in. more than the width.  If the length and width are each increased by 3 in., the perimeter of the new rectangle will be 4 in. less than 8 times the width of the original rectangle.  Find the original dimensions of the rectangle.
 Please help, I have no idea how to even start this!
 Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! The length of a rectangle is 2 in. more than the width. If the length and width are each increased by 3 in., the perimeter of the
 new rectangle will be 4 in. less than 8 times the width of the original rectangle.
 Find the original dimensions of the rectangle.
 :
 Just write equation for what it says, step-by-step
 :
 "The length of a rectangle is 2 in. more than the width."
 L = (W+2)
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 "If the length and width are each increased by 3 in."
 (L+3) and (W+3)
 "the perimeter of the new rectangle will be 4 in. less than 8 times the
 width of the original rectangle.
 2(L+3) + 2(W+3) = 8W - 4
 2L + 6 + 2W + 6 = 8W - 4
 2L + 12 = 8W - 2W - 4
 2L = 6W - 4 - 12
 2L = 6W - 16
 simplify, divide by 2
 L = 3W - 8
 We know L = (W+2), therefore
 w + 2 = 3W - 8
 2 + 8 = 3W - W
 10 = 2W
 W = 10/2
 W = 5 in is the original width
 then
 5+2 = 7 in is the original length
 :
 :
 Confirm this by using these values in the statement
 "the perimeter of the new rectangle will be 4 in. less than 8 times the width of the original rectangle."
 2(7+3)) + 2(5+3) = 8(5) - 4
 20 + 16 = 40 - 4
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