Question

The width of a rectangle is the length minus 2 units. The area of the rectangle is 35 units. What is the width, in units, of the rectangle?

Answer 1

Answer: width = 5 units

Step-by-step explanation:

Let L represent the length of the rectangle.

The width of a rectangle is the length minus 2 units. It means that the width of the rectangle is (L - 2) units.

The formula for determining the area of a rectangle is expressed as

Area = length × width

The area of the rectangle is 35 units. It means that

L(L - 2) = 35

L² - 2L = 35

L² - 2L - 35 = 0

L² + 5L - 7L - 35 = 0

L(L + 5) - 7(L + 5) = 0

L - 7 = 0 or L + 5 = 0

L = 7 or L = - 5

Since the length cannot be negative, then

L = 7 units

Width = 7 - 2 = 5 units