Question rectan

3.1 Ratios, Rates, and Proportional Relationships - Scale factors in geometry
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Rectangle A has length 15 and width w. Rectangle B has length 20 and the same length-to-width ratio as rectangle A. What is the width of rectangle B in terms of ?

A.

four-thirds w

B.

w plus 5

C.

three-fourths w

D.

w minus 5

Rectangle A has length 15 and width w . Rectangle B has length 20 and the

Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Ratios, Rates, and Proportional Relationships — Scale factors in geometry. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice A is correct. It’s given that rectangle A has length 15 and width w. Therefore, the length-to-width ratio of rectangle A is 15 to w. It’s also given that rectangle B has length 20 and the same length-to-width ratio as rectangle A. Let x represent the width of rectangle B. The proportion 15 over w, equals, 20 over x can be used to solve for x in terms of w. Multiplying both sides of this equation by x yields the fraction 15 x over w, equals 20, and then multiplying both sides of this equation by w yields 15 x equals 20 w. Dividing both sides of this equation by 15 yields x equals, the fraction 20 w over 15. Simplifying this fraction yields x equals, four thirds w.

Choices B and D are incorrect and may result from interpreting the difference in the lengths of rectangle A and rectangle B as equivalent to the difference in the widths of rectangle A and rectangle B. Choice C is incorrect and may result from using a length-to-width ratio of w to 15, instead of 15 to w.