Question

Tina wants to build a garden in her backyard. She knows that the area of the section of the backyard she will be using is x^2-4x-45 square feet. Determine which of the following are possible dimensions of the section, in feet.

Answer 1

The area (A) of a rectangle is calculated by multiplying the length (L) and the width (W). In order for us to determine the possible dimensions of the section (or sides) of the rectangle, we have to factor the given area.
                                          x² - 4x - 45
                                       (x - 9)(x + 5)

Thus, the possible dimensions of the rectangle are x-9 and x+5.