Question

The length of a rectangle is 3 inches longer than it is wide. If the area is 180 square inches, what are the

dimensions of the rectangle?

Answer 1

The width is 12 and the length is 15.

Explanation:

You set the equation as x is equal to the width and since the lenght is 3 units longer than the width, it can be seen as "x + 3"

`Area=(Length)(Width)`

180= x × (x + 3)

Then from there you just solve for x.

Answer 2

Width=12 inches

Length=15 inches

Explanation:

Let's say the width is x.

Then, the length is x+3.

The area of a rectangle is the length times width, so

x(x+3)=180

x^2+3x=180

x^2+3x-180=0

After using the quadratic formula, x comes out to be 12 or -15.

x cannot be -15 because you can't have negative distance, so we are left with x=12.

The width is 12 inches and the length is 12+3=15 inches.

Check: 12*15=180