Lamar is putting a new baseboard around his bedroom. The perimeter of the room is 75 1/2 feet. He measures the width and finds that it is 15.75 feet. What is th

Question

Lamar is putting a new baseboard around his bedroom. The perimeter of the room is 75 1/2 feet. He measures the width and finds that it is 15.75 feet. What is th

Answer 1

"...e length?"

 

Let L=length (since the problem, as completed by me, asks us to find it)

  W=width=15.75 feet

 

Now, most people don't mix fractions of feet and decimal portions of feet, so let's convert:

       15.75 feet   =   15 3/4 feet

 

The perimeter is:   2L + 2W = 75 1/2

                           2L  + 2(15 3/4) = 75 1/2

                            2L  + 31 1/2  =  75 1/2       [use either: 2*15+2*3/4  or 2*63/4]

                            2L   =  44

                              L = 22 feet

 

Checking (very important):

  Is   2(22) +  2(15 3/4) = 75 1/2   ?

          44   +   31 1/2    = 75 1/2   ?

                  75 1/2  = 75 1/2   ?yes