Question

Derrick cut a square cake vertically to make two rectangle slices. Each rectangle had a perimeter of 51 inches.

Answer 1

17 inches

Explanation:

Given

`P = 51` --- Perimeter of rectangle

Required

The length of the original square

The perimeter is calculated as

`51 = 2(L + W)`

Divide by 2

`25.5 = L + W`

The rectangle and the square have the same length.

So:

`L = 2W`

`25.5 = L + W` becomes

`25.5 = 2W + W`

`25.5 = 3W`

Divide both sides by 3

`W = 8.5`

Recall that:

`L = 2W`

`L = 2 * 8.5`

`L = 17`