Question

The length and width of a rectangle are

consecutive odd integers. The area of the
rectangle is 15 square units. What are the
length and width of the rectangle?
Separate the answers with a comma.

Answer 1

3,5

Explanation:

Represent the width by W and the length by L. L = W + 2 (because L and W are consecutive odd integers).

Then L * W = 15 units^2, and after substitution this becomes:

(W + 2) * W = 15, or W^2 + 2W - 15 = 0.

This factors as follows: (W + 5)(W - 3) = 0, and the positive root is W = 3.

The length and width of the rectangle are 3 and 5 respectively.

Note that 3 and 5 are consecutive odd integers, and that 3 * 5 = 15 units^2.