Solve the problem. 4) The length of a vegetable garden is 5 feet longer than its width. If the area of the garden is 126 square feet, find its dimensions.

Answer 1

What do we know to begin?

Area=Length * Width

Length=Width+5

Area=126

so, plugging Width+5 in for Length,

we get

126= (Width + 5) * Width or

126=(W+5) * W

126=W^2 +5W

0=W^2+5W-126

Factor or use Quadratic Equation

0=(W+14)(W-9)

So W is either 9 or -14, and we know it can't be negative, so width must be 9 ft,

plug 9 back into the Length equation to get

Length=9+5=14 ft

and we get

L x W

=

14 x 9 ft