Dimension Problem

Question

The length of a rectangle is
5 ft
less than three times the width, and the area of the rectangle is
50 ft2
. Find the dimensions of the rectangle.

Answer 1

Let's try it by trial and error, since the numbers aren't too big, and they should be easy to divide.

 

25 x 2 = 50 square feet.

Does it work?

2 x 3 = 6 - 5 = 1... not even close.

 

What other two numbers multiply to make 50?

 

5 x 10 = 50.

 

5 x 3 = 15 - 5 = 10.

 

Re-read to double check. Length of 10, width of 5 ... Yes, it satisfies the requirements :-)