Question 28954
A rectangle has an area of 2,040 square feet with base=60' and height=40'.
Inside this rectangle are two more rectangles--A & B.  The area of A is twice the area of B.  What is the area of each of these rectangles?

The area of a rectangle  = length X width = 60 ft X40ft = 2400 sqft
(AND NOT 2040)
What should be clearly stated in the problem is that the big rectangle of 2400 sqft area is split into two rectangles inside it called A and B. (that is to say A and B totally make up the space of this big rectangle should be the data)
Then we have A+B = 2040 ----(1)
And by data the area of A is twice the area of B.
That is A = 2B ----(2)
Putting (2) in (1)
(2B) + B = 2400
3B = 2400
B = 2400/3 = 800  ----(*)
Putting B = 800 in (2)
A = 2B = 2X(800) = 1600
Therefore the inner rectangle A is of area 1600 sqft and 
the inner rectangle B is of area 800 sqft.
Verification: Of course these two rectangles add up to 
(1600+800)=2400 the area of the big rectangle