Explanation:
Let's call the width of the rectangle "w".
The length of the rectangle is given as 2 inches more than 3 times the width:
l = 3w + 2
When the width is 2.5 inches, the length can be found:
l = 3 * 2.5 + 2 = 7.5 + 2 = 9.5 inches
The area of the rectangle can be found by multiplying the length and width:
A = l * w = 9.5 * 2.5 = 23.75 square inches.