Find the length of a rectangle with a perimeter of 118m if the length is 5m more than the width

Question

Find the length of a rectangular lot with a perimeter of 118m if the length is 5m more than the width.

Answer 1

They want us to find the length and are giving us the Perimeter and also the relationship of the width and length.

 

So start out by putting down the formula for Perimeter:

 

P = 2L + 2W

 

They state that the Length is 5 more than the Width.  We translate that to math and it becomes L = 5 + W.

 

We now take all that we know and plug it back into the Perimeter formula, including the 118 they said in the problem and the new value for L.

 

118 = 2(5 + W) + 2W

 

Now we can distribute the 2:

 

118 = 10 + 2W + 2W

 

Combine like terms.  Add the W's and move the 10 to the other side of the = by subtracting it on both sides:

 

108 = 4W

 

Divide by 4 to get the value for W:

 

27m = W

 

Use this to plug in for L and we get L = 32m.