The perimeter of a rectangular outdoor patio is 54 ft. The length is 3 ft greater than the width. Wh

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The perimeter of a rectangular outdoor patio is 54 ft. The length is 3 ft greater than the width. What are the dimensions of the patio?

Perimeter of a rectangle is:
P = 2l + 2w

We're given l = w + 3 and P = 54. So plug this into our perimeter formula:
54= 2(w + 3) + 2w
54 = 2w + 6 + 2w

Combine like terms:
4w + 6 = 54

Typing this equation into our search engine, we get:
w = 12

Plug this into our l = w + 3 formula:
l = 12 + 3
l = 15