Question

The length of a rectangle exceeds its width by 4 inches. How do you find the dimensions of the rectangle it its area is 96 square inches?

Answer 1

The dimesions of the rectangle are: Length `=12` inches; Width `=8` inches.

Explanation:

Let the width of the rectangle be `x` inches.

Then, the length of the rectangle be `x+4` inches.

Hence area of the rectangle is as follows. `x(x+4) =96 or x^2+4x-96=0 or x^2+12x-8x-96=0 or x(x+12) -8(x+12)=0 or (x-8)(x+12)=0`

So either `(x-8)=0 ;:.x=8` or `(x+12)=0 ;:.x=-12`. Width can not be negative. So `x=8 ; x+4=12`

Hence the dimesions of rectangle are as Length `=12` inches , Width `=8` inches.[Ans]