Question

the perimeter of a parallelogram is 72 meters. The width of the parallelogram is 4 meters less than its length. Find the length and width of the parallelogram

Answer 1

The perimeter of a parallelogram is twice the sum of the length and the width.

The length is x.
The width is 4 meters less than its length, so it's x-4.
The perimeter is 72 meters.

$2(x+x-4)=72 \\ 2(2x-4)=72 \ \ \ \ \ \ \ |\div 2 \\ 2x-4=36 \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ |+4 \\ 2x=40 \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ |\div 2 \\ x=20 \Leftarrow \hbox{the length} \\ \\ \hbox{the width:} \\ x-4=20-4=16$

The length is 20 meters, the width is 16 meters.