<PRE><B>Question 213298</B>
Find the maximum possible area of a rectangle with a perimeter of 100 feet. 
I&#39;ve drawn a picture, labeled both the length and width on the rectangle, and written down the formulas for perimeter and area. 
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Perimeter = 2(L + W)
100 = 2(L+W)
L+W = 50
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Let width be W
Then length = 50-W
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Area = length * width
A = (50-W)W
A = 50W-W^2
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This is a quadratic with a = -1, b = 50:
Maximum area occurs when W = -b/2a = -50/-2 = 25
Since W = 25 and L+W=50, L = 25
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Maximum area is 25*25 = 625 sq. units
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Cheers,
Stan H.</PRE>