Question

The length of a rectangle is 17 inches longer than the width (x),Which is the width (x) when the area (y) is 1334 square inches?

Answer 1

x: width

z: length

The length of a rectangle is 17 inches longer than the width (x) means:

z = x + 17

The area of a rectangle is computed as follows:

Area = x*z

Replacing with Area = 1334 and z = x+17:

1334 = x*(x + 17)

Applying distributive property:

1334 = x*x + x*17

0 = x² + 17x - 1334

Using the quadratic formula:

`\begin{gathered} x_(1,2)=\frac{-17\pm\sqrt[]{17^2-4\cdot1\cdot(-1334)}}{2\cdot1} \\ x_(1,2)=\frac{-17\pm\sqrt[]{5625}}{2} \\ x_1=(-17+75)/(2)=29_{} \\ x_2=(-17-75)/(2)=-46_{} \end{gathered}`

Given that x cannot be negative, then the answer is x = 29 inches