Question

A rectangle has a perimeter of 144 inches. The width of the rectangle is 12 inches less than the length. What is the width, in inches, of the rectangle?

Answer 1

The width is 42 inches. If you add 42+42+30+30, it equals 144. (l+l+w+w)

Answer 2

30 inches

Explanation:

To correctly evaluate this we have to give algebraic values to both the width and the length, so the width would be X, and the legnth is 12 inches larger than the length so this would be expressed by: x+12, so the equation of the perimeter would be:

`P=2W+2L`

`P=2(x)+2(x+12)`

`P=2x+2x+24`

Now you just evaluate the equation for perimeter=144.

`144=2x+2x+24`

`144=4x+24`

`120=4x`

`x=(120)/(4)`

`x=(120)/(4)=30`

So the width of the rectangle is 30 inches.