The length of a rectangular hall is 2 metres more than its breadth. If the area of the hall is 168 square metres, what is its breadth?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: 12 m
Let the breadth of the hall be \(x\) metres. Its length will then be \(x+2\) metres. Using the area, \(x(x+2)=168\), so \(x^2+2x-168=0\). Factoring gives \((x+14)(x-12)=0\), yielding \(x=12\) or \(x=-14\). Since a length cannot be negative, the breadth is 12 metres. For example, 10 metres would give an area of \(10\times12=120\) square metres, so it is not correct. Exam tip: reject any negative root when solving for a physical dimension.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct answer to this question?
12 m
Why is this the correct answer?
Let the breadth of the hall be \(x\) metres. Its length will then be \(x+2\) metres. Using the area, \(x(x+2)=168\), so \(x^2+2x-168=0\). Factoring gives \((x+14)(x-12)=0\), yielding \(x=12\) or \(x=-14\). Since a length cannot be negative, the breadth is 12 metres. For example, 10 metres would give an area of \(10\times12=120\) square metres, so it is not correct. Exam tip: reject any negative root when solving for a physical dimension.
Which subject and chapter does this question cover?
This is a Class 10 Mathematics question. Chapter: Quadratic Equations. Topic: Word Problems and Applications.
Student feedback
Was this question useful?
👍 0 Helpful 👎 0 Not helpful
Yes 0% No 0%
0 responsesStudent Reviews
No published reviews yet.
