What is the width?

Question

A rectangle poster is 3 times as high as it is wide. It contains a picture of 125 in.² framed by a margin of 4 inches at the top and bottom and 3 inches on each side find the width of the poster.

Answer 1

Martha, I hope I can still help.

 

Let's think about this problem.  If the picture is 125 in², then it must be 25 x 5, right?  We are saying that it is taller than wide, so the poster must be 25 inches high and only 5 inches wide- a skinny poster.

 

If we add the 3 inches on each side, then we have 11 total inches of width.  The 4 inches on the top and bottom would give us 33 inches total, or three times the width.

 

So, the poster is 11 inches wide.