Expert: Lynn Houston - 12/8/2010

Question
The perimeter of a rectangle is 40.  The width is half the length + 2.  What is the length and the width.
I was wondering if you could show the step by step to answer this question?
Thank you,
Dan

Answer
perimeter = 2L + 2W and we know that the width is 1/2 the length + 2, so w = 1/2L + 2.  Fill in the value of W into the perimeter equation.

2L + 2(1/2L + 2)=40  do the math
2L + L + 4 = 40      add like terms
3L + 4 = 40       subtract 4 from both sides
3L =  36          divide by 3
L = 12, therefore, W = 8