Question 823438
<pre><font face = "Tohoma" size = 3 color = "indigo"><b> 
Hi,
A rectangular area is enclosed with fencing 
where the width is 5 feet less than the length{{{highlight_green(x)}}}. width is {{{highlight_green(x-5)}}}.  
If the area is 300 square feet, what is the width?
<img src='http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/479/rectangle.png' border='0'/></a>
 A = lw = x(x-5) = 300ft^2
    x^2 - 5x - 300 = 0
    (x +15)(x-20) = 0   |tossing out the negative solution for unit measure
             x = 20ft, the length and the width is 15ft        {{{highlight_green(x-5)}}}.