a rectangle is five times as long as it is wide. if it were 24 cm shorter and 24 cm wider, it would be a square. What are its dimensions?

Answer 1

width--- x
length --- 5x

"would be" situation:
width = x+24
length = 5x - 24

then 5x -24 = x+24
4x = 48
x = 12

the rectangle is 12 by 60

check:
had it been 24 shorter ---> length = 60-24 = 36
had it been 23 wider -----> width = 12 + 24 = 36
all is good!