The length of a rectangular garden is 8 units more than its breadth, and its area is 240 square units. What is the breadth of the garden?

Correct answer: 12

Let the breadth be \(x\) units. Then the length is \(x+8\) units, so \(x(x+8)=240\), giving \(x^2+8x-240=0\). Factoring, \((x-12)(x+20)=0\), so \(x=12\) or \(x=-20\). Since a length cannot be negative, the breadth is 12 units. Exam tip: In rectangle-area problems, assign \(x\) to one dimension, express the other in terms of \(x\), and reject any negative root.