Question

Coach Mac finds a new practice court for the basketball team. If the width of the rectangular lot is 16 feet less than the length, and the perimeter is 160 feet, what are the dimensions of the new practice court? Perimeter of Rectangle = 2W + 2L First complete the equations below, where W stands for the width and L stands for the length of the court. 160 = 2W + 2L; W = L - [?]

Answer 1

We will find the values of W and L as follows:

*We solve for L or W:

`W=L-16`

We replace this in the perimeter function:

`2(L-16)+2L=160\Rightarrow2L-32+2L=160`
`\Rightarrow4L=192\Rightarrow L=48`

Now that we have the length, we replace it in the first function:

`W=48-16\Rightarrow W=32`

So, the function in question is:

`W=L-16`