The length of a rectangle is 3 inches greater than its width. The area of the rectangle is 28 square inches. What Is The Width Of The Rectangle?

Question

Let width equal w and write an algebraic expression to represent the length in terms of w.

Answer 1

Translate the words into equations

Start by identifying the quantities involved.

Let W be the width

Let L be the length

 

next, Translate the words, using these names.

Translate “the length of a rectangle” into “L”

Translate “is 3 inches greater than the width” into “ = 3 + W”

String those together:

L = 3 + W

 

For the next sentence, you have to know how to compute the Area of a rectangle. I hope you know that

Area = Length x Width

 

So Translate “the area of the rectangle is 28 square inches” Into

 

L*W = 28

 

so here are your two equations

L = 3 + W

L*W = 28

 

Presumably you know how to solve these. If not, substitute the expression for L into the second equation and solve for W.