Jack wants to install a swimming pool that is 12m long and 8m wide. He wants to install a rubberized safety border of uniform width around the pool. The width of the safety border is represented by x and the area of the safety border is 44 m^2.

Question

a) Write an expression in terms of x for the length and width dimensions of the outside safety border.
b) What is the total area of the pool and border?
c) Write a quadratic equation that could be used to calculate the width of the safety border.
d) How wide is the safety border around the pool?

Answer 1

length including border = 12 + 2x
width including border = 8 + 2x

area including border = (12+2x)(8+2x) = .....
area of just the pool = 12(8) = ....
the difference would be the area of the border.

then (12+2x)(8+2x) - 12*8 =44
simplify and solve for x

I assume you know how to solve quadratics, or else you wouldn't be doing this type of question.

Answer 2

Can you find for the width of the border jack can install