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Rectangle

Math Teaser!

If a rectangle has an area of 192 square meters, and the length is three times longer than its width, what are the length and width?

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The area of a rectangle is found by multiplying the length by the width. (l x w)  If we call the width x, and we are told the length is 3 times longer than the width, the length is 3x.

l \times w \text{ becomes } x \times{3x} \text{, or } 3x^2

Putting it all together, we have the equation for the area (in terms of x), and we have the value of the area (192 square meters), so we can solve for the value of x:

3x^2 = 192

Divide both sides by 3:

x^2 = 64

Take the square root of both sides:

x = 8

The width, x, is 8 meters.  The length, or 3x, is 24 meters.

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