Question

A rectangular patio has an area of (3x – 6) square units. Factor 3x – 6 to find possible dimensions of the patio.

Answer 1

`w=3,\ l=x-2`

`l=3,\ w=x-2`

Explanation:

The area of a rectangle is given by the product of its length and width.

`A=l.w`

If we knew the value of the area, we would not be able to know any of its dimensions without being given other piece of information. We can only make assumptions.

The question states the area of the rectangular patio is 3x-6 units, i.e.

`l.w=3x-6`

We know the product of two quantities results 3x-6, so we can factor that expression to have a possible combination between l and w. Factoring by 3:

`l.w=3(x-2)`

We can say that

`l=3,\ w=x-2`

It can be said also

`w=3,\ l=x-2`

These are not the only possible combinations, but they are as simple as possible