<PRE><B>Question 956337</B>
the formula for the perimeter of a rectangle is p = 2x + 2y, where:
x is the length
y is the width.
p is the perimeter.


since p = 56, the equation becomes:


56 = 2x + 2y


since the width of the rectangle is 3 feet more than the length, then:


y = x + 3


replace y with x + 3 to get:


56 = 2x + 2y becomes:


56 = 2x + 2*(x+3)


simplify to get:


56 = 2x + 2x + 6


combine like terms to get:


56 = 4x + 6


solve for x to get:


x = (56 - 6) / 4 which becomes:


x = 12.5


since y = x + 3, then y = 15.5


your formula of y = 2x + 2y becomes:


56 = 2 * 12.5 + 2 * 15.5 which becomes:


56 = 25 + 31 which becomes:


56 = 56


this confirms the solution is correct.


x represents the length so the length is 12.5


y represents the width so the width is 15.5


the choice of x to represent length and y to represent width is arbitrary.


any letter could have been used.


you could have said a = length and b = width.


you could have said L = length and W = width.


the result would have been the same.


the length is 12.5 and the width is 15.5.





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