Question

Olivia helps paint a square mural in her classroom. Then she helps paint a mural in the hallway whose length is 5 feet longer and whose width is 2 feet shorter. Let x represent the side length of the mural in Olivia's classroom write an expression that represents the two binomials you would multiply to find the area of the hallway mural. Use that expression to find the area of the hallway mural if each side of the classroom mural is 7 feet long.

Answer 1

Explanation:

The square mural in Olivia's classroom has dimensions x by x.

Then she paints a mural of dimensions: x+5 (the length) by x-2 (the width).

Thus the second mural (the hallway mural) has the shape of a rectangle with dimensions (x+5) by (x-2), so the area of the second mural is

(x+5)(x-2).

each side of the classroom mural is 7 feet means that x = 7 ft,

thus the area of the hallway mural is :

(x+5)(x-2)=(7+5)(7-2)=12*5=60 (square feet)

So the answer is 60 square feet.