Problema Solution

a rectangular room is 4 meters wider than it is high and it is 8 meters longer than it is wide. The total area of the walls is 512 square meters. Find the width of the room

Answer provided by our tutors

The width is 4 meters greater than the height, so:

w = h + 4

The length is 8 meters greater than the width:

l = w + 8

The total area of the four walls is 512 square meters:

512 = 2lh +2wh = 2h (w+l)

We have three equations, and three unknowns.

l = (h+4) + 8 = h + 12

512 = 2h ((h+4)+(h + 12))

512 = 2h (2h + 16) = 4h^2 + 32 h

16 = 1/8 h^2 + h

h = 8

w = h + 4 = 12

The width of the room is 12 meters.