Question a-rect
A rectangle has a length of units and a width of units. If the rectangle has an area of square units, what is the value of ?
A rectangle has a length of x units and a width of x - 15 units.
Medium-difficulty · SAT Math · Nonlinear Equations in One Variable — Quadratic solving (factoring, quadratic formula, completing square). Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice B is correct. The area of a rectangle is equal to its length multiplied by its width. Multiplying the given length, units, by the given width, units, yields square units. If the rectangle has an area of square units, it follows that , or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Factoring the left-hand side of this equation yields . Applying the zero product property to this equation yields two solutions: and . Since is the rectangle’s length, in units, which must be positive, the value of is .
Choice A is incorrect. This is the width, in units, of the rectangle, not the value of .
Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice D is incorrect. This is the area, in square units, of the rectangle, not the value of .
More Nonlinear Equations in One Variable practice questions
- x 2 25 = 36 What is a solution to the given equation?
- 64 x 2 - 16 a + 4 b x + a b =
- - 4 x 2 - 7 x = - 36 What is the positive
- 5 x 2 - 37 x - 24 = 0 What is the positive
- 7 x 2 - 20 x - 32 = 0 What is the positive
- What is the solution to the equation above?
- The solutions to x 2 + 6 x + 7 = 0 are r
- Which of the following values of x satisfies the given equation?
Browse all Passport to Advanced Math practice questions or return to the full SAT question bank.
