Question 1179368
<br>
Mentally, in five seconds or less: 88 = 11*8<br>
Algebraically....<br>
x = length
x-3 = width<br>
The area (length times width) is 88:<br>
{{{x(x-3)=88}}}
{{{x^2-3x=88}}}
{{{x^2-3x-88=0}}}
Factor the quadratic:
{{{(x-11)(x+8)=0}}}<br>
The length is either 11 or -8; since -8 makes no sense, it is 11.  And then the width is 8.<br>
Note that, in the formal algebraic solution, it was necessary to factor a quadratic equation by finding two numbers whose difference is 3 and whose product is 88; and that is what was required to solve the original problem mentally.<br>
So the formal algebraic solution didn't make solving the problem any easier....<br>
Nevertheless, it is a good exercise for a beginning algebra student to be able to set the problem up and solve it using formal mathematics.<br>