SOLUTION: Hate word problems please help? A rectangular parking lot is 50 ft longer than it is wide. Determine the dimensions of the parking lot if it measures 250 ft diagonally.

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Question 64758: Hate word problems please help?
A rectangular parking lot is 50 ft longer than it is wide. Determine the dimensions of the parking lot if it measures 250 ft diagonally.
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
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Hate word problems please help?
A rectangular parking lot is 50 ft longer than it is wide. Determine the dimensions of the parking lot if it measures 250 ft diagonally.
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Relax. There are much harder things in life than word problems.
You have a triangle with a side of length "x" and another of length "x+50"
Use the Pythagorean relation. He knew these things in 400 BC.
x^2+(x+50)^2=250^2
x^2+(x^2+100x+2500)=62500
2x^2+100x=60000
x^2+50x-30000=0
Use the Quadratic formula to get:
x=[-50+-sqrt(2500-4*-30000]/2
x=[-50+-sqrt(122500)]/2
x=[-50+-350]/2
x=300/2 = 150 ft (length of one side)
x+50=200 ft (length of the other side)
Cheers,
Stan H.