Question

Tracy needs to find the length and width of the equipment storage room where she works. The room is 2 meters longer than it is wide. Its perimeter is 16 meters.

What is the width in meters?

Answer 1

Width = 3 meters

Explanation:

We are given that for an equipment storage room, it is 2 meters longer than its width and the perimeter of this room is 16 meters.

Given the above information, we are to find the width of the room.

Perimeter =
`2l+2w`

Supposing
`x` to be the width and
`x+2` to the length, we can write it as:

`16=2(x)+2(x+2)`

`16=2x+2x+4`

`12=4x`

`x=(12)/(4)`

x = 3

Therefore, the width = 3 meters.

Answer 2

3 meters

Explanation:

We assume the storage room is a rectangle, like most rooms, no indication it is otherwise.

We know it's a rectangle and not a square because it is longer than wide.

We have the perimeter measurement (16 meters).

So, we can make the following equation:

2x + 2y = 16

x being the width of the room, y being it's length. A perimeter is the sum of all sides.

We also know the room is 2 meters longer than wide... so:

y = x + 2

If we replace y in the first equation by its value relative to x, we get:

2x + 2(x + 2) = 16 which becomes

2x + 2x + 4 = 16

4x =12

thus x = 3

Width: 3 meters

Length: 5 meters.

Confirms the 16 meters perimeter.