Question

A rectangular plot, 20 ft by 18 ft, is to be used for a garden. It is decided to put a pavement inside the entire border so that 80 square feet of the plot is left for flowers. How wide should the pavement be?
I'm doing the problems that I skipped when I did my online homework a while back, I tried to do this one, and I could not figure it out. One of the people in yahoo answers just gave me the wrong answers. I'm hoping you guys would be able to help me out.
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

The area of the plot is \[20\times18=360ft^2\]

Answer 2

Hmm it gives me [blank] feet
If I just put in 360, it says its wrong and I have entered it before :(

Answer 3

360-80=280 square feet will be paved..

Answer 4

I have tried 280 too. It's wrong.

Answer 5

wait the answer is incomplete

Answer 6

I'm testing these numbers as you are sending them to me.

Answer 7

you want a pavement that has the same length = 20ft

solve for \[20*W = 280\]

Answer 8

so W = 260?

Answer 9

nope, it is \[\frac{280}{20}\]

Answer 10

280/20 is equal to 14, so enter 14 ft

Answer 11

nvm thats a multiplication :D not a +/-

Answer 12

ugh fml...14 ft is wrong

Answer 13

:-P

Answer 14

Any other ideas?
It could be the site that's messing up, but other students would have brought up the issue to the teacher.

Answer 15

then u take the ratio of length to width which which is 18/20=.90 then lw=280 l/w=.90 where l=length and w is width

Answer 16

I now know what is wrong

Answer 17

solve lw=280 and l/w=.90

Answer 18

try entering 4ft

Answer 19

lw=(.90w)w=280, so .90w^2=280, w=17.64

Answer 20

Nope 4 is wrong

Answer 21

:-P

Answer 22

17.64 is wrong

Answer 23

wat is the answer...the problem isnt very clear