# Thread: Algebra Skills and Polynomials

1. ## Algebra Skills and Polynomials

I have a math test on Thursday, but I don't understand how to do these two questions. Can someone help please, and explain why you would do what you do?
Thanks

1. The back yard of a home is a rectangle 15 m by 20 m. A garden of uniform width is to be built around the edge leaving a grass area inside. The area of the grass is to be the same as the area of the garden. What are the dimensions of the garden?

2. If the average speed of a light place had been 40km/h less, the plane would have take one hour longer to fly 1200 km. What was the speed of the plane?

Much appreicated : )

2. Originally Posted by foreverbrokenpromises

1. The back yard of a home is a rectangle 15 m by 20 m. A garden of uniform width is to be built around the edge leaving a grass area inside. The area of the grass is to be the same as the area of the garden. What are the dimensions of the garden?

Given the dimensions of 20 X 15 with a unifrom width of x then I think you are looking for the function

$(15-2x)(20-2x) = 150$

You should try to solve for $x > 0$

3. i dont understand why you subtract 2x ?

4. You need to draw a picture of the question to understand, once you have done that x will be the uniform width of the path.