Algebra 1 question.

Question

The new high school building is rectangular in shape, with an area of 5x^3+4x^2-8 square meters. What are the possible espressions for the dimensions of the building?

Answer 1

I appears that you're being asked to factor this cubic expression. Ordinarily, we know the dimensions as a number of square meters, but this time it's an expression.  What does x represent and what value does it have, exactly?

If we knew that, we'd know the area and we could factor it (with integer length and width).

 

For example, if the building were to have area 144 sq m, then its dimensions, theoretically, could be

1 by 144 (definitely too skinny to make sense), or 2 by 72, or 3 by 48, or 4 by 36, etc.  This is not how architects work.

 

Is this a Common Core question? Does it any make sense? (If it does, I'm waiting for elucidation from you or other tutors.)