Find length and width of the field

Question

An official playing field (including end zone) for the Indoor Football League has a length 37 yd longer than its width. The perimeter of the rectangular field is 190 yd. Find the length and width of the field.

Answer 1

Hi Rockel,

Let's use the variable , w, to represent the width of the field.

Since the length of the field is 37 yards longer than the width, we can write the following expression to represent the length of the field: w + 37

The perimeter is the sum of all the side measurements (which is 190 yards in this problem). This sum would be:

w + w + (w + 37) + (w + 37) = 190

Now combine like terms and use inverse operations to find the width, w :

w + w + (w + 37) + (w + 37) = 190

4w + 74 = 190

4w + 74 - 74 = 190 - 74

4w = 116

4w/4 = 116/4

w = 29

The width of the field will be 29 yards .

The length of the field will be w + 37 = 29 + 37

The length will be 66 yards.

To verify , the perimeter will be 29 + 29 + 66 + 66 = 190 yards