| If each side of a square is represented by the expression 4x – 1, and the perimeter of the square is 60, what is the length of a side of the square? |
Again, first we write the let statement:
Let 4x – 1 = the length of a side of the square.
Now we write the mathematical sentence:
(4x – 1) + (4x – 1) + (4x – 1) + (4x – 1) = 60
OR
4 ( 4x – 1) = 60 (either one is fine!)
Now we solve the mathematical sentence:
16x – 4 = 60 (simplify the equation)
16x = 64 (add 4 to both sides of the equation).
x = 4 (divide both sides of the equation by 16).
Now, be careful. Go back and look at the problem as well as the let statement to remind you what we are looking for.
The problem asks us to find the length of a side of the square. And the let statement says that the length of a side is not x, but rather 4x – 1.
So we need to “plug in” the solution to our mathematicalsentence into the expression we used to represent a side of the square.
Since our solution tells us that x = 4
4x – 1 means 4(4) – 1, or 16 – 1 = 15.
The length of a side of the square is 15 |
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