<PRE><B>Question 1102143</B>
An open box is formed from a rectangular piece of cardboard that is 3 in. longer than it is wide, by removing squares of side 2 in. from each corner and folding up the sides. If the volume of the carton is then 216 in^3, what were the dimensions of the original piece of cardboard? 
-----
Original dimensions of the rectangular piece::
width = w inches
length = w+3 inches
-------------------------
After cutting out the 2 by 2 squares the remaining width and length dimensions are:
new width :: w-4 inches
new length:: w+3-4 = w-1 inches
------------------
Volume = length * width * height
216 = (w-1)*(w-4)*w
216 = (w^2-5w+4)*w
w^3 - 5w^2 + 4w - 216 = 0
---------------------------
w = 7.93 (original width)
w+3 = 10.93 (original length)
-------------
Cheers,
Stan H.
-----------------
-------

</PRE>