Five hundred yards of fence is to be used to enclose a rectangular area next to a straight river. The river bank acts as one sid
e of the rectangle, and the fence is used to make the other three sides of the rectangle. Suppose the width w in yards of the rectangle is along the river bank.
What you would do is simply plug in 8 where y is and solve. 5(8)=3478-3c -Times 5 by 8 40=3478-3c -Add 3c to the opposite side of the equal sign 40+3c=3478 -Subtract 40 from the opposite side of the equal sign 3c=3438 -Divide equation by 3 c=1146