A dining room has a total area of 96 square feet. The dining room is 4 square feet longer than its width. What is the dimension of the dining room?
The answer in the answer sheet shows this equation :
96 = 4x(x)
In the end, the x equals to 4.9 and the dimension is 4.9 x 19.6.
I wonder "square feet" is the unit for area, rather than the length, so how can it be 4 square feet longer??
If there is no error in this question, then how does the 4x come from? If there is error, the "square feet" should be changed as "feet", is it correct?
Thanks in advanced!
Best Answer
A dining room almost twenty feet long and less than five feet wide would not be a comfortable place to eat. It seems a misprint is involved here: if instead the room is four feet longer than it is wide, then$$x(x+4)=x^2+4x=96$$and solving the quadratic gives$$x=8$$ The room is 8 feet wide by 12 feet long, a modest but usable space.