Final answer:
To calculate the percent change in the area of a rectangle when the width is increased by 50%, use the formula: Percent Change = (New Area - Original Area) / Original Area * 100%. The percent change in this case is 25%.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ratio of the width to the length of a rectangle is 2:3, respectively.
To calculate the percent change in the area of the rectangle when the width is increased by 50%, we can use the formula:
Percent Change = (New Area - Original Area) / Original Area * 100%
Let's say the original width is 2x and the original length is 3x.
The original area is then 2x * 3x = 6x^2.
When the width is increased by 50%, it becomes 2.5x (1.5 times the original width).
The new area is then 2.5x * 3x = 7.5x^2.
Plugging the values into the formula for percent change, we get:
Percent Change = (7.5x^2 - 6x^2) / 6x^2 * 100%
Simplifying the equation gives:
Percent Change = (1.5x^2) / 6x^2 * 100%
Percent Change = 25%