What are the unkown widths of the garden?

Question

A garden is in the shape of a trapezoid. The garden has an area of 60 meters squared and a depth of 8 meters. The width at the back is double the width at the front. 

Answer 1

The formula for finding the area of a trapezoid is

A = 1/2 (b₁ + b₂) * h

b₁ and b₂ are the lengths of the parallel sides (the bases), and h is the distance between them (the height)

 

In your problem, you know the area A = 60 m², the depth is h = 8 m, and you know that one base is double the other b₁ = 2 b₂. Plugging these in, you get

 

60 = (1/2) (2 b₂ + b₂) * 8

 

You should be able to solve for b₂ now, and when you've found that, double it to find b₁.

 

I hope this helps, please comment if you have questions.