8a)
x = width
x+3 = length, since its 3 ft longer than the width
A = length*width
A = LW
A = (x+3)*x
A = x^2+3x
Set this equal to 108 since this is the area of the rectangle.
x^2 + 3x = 108=========================================================
8b)
x^2+3x = 108
x^2+3x-108 = 0
Use the quadratic formula with a = 1, b = 3, c = -108
Ignore the negative solution because we cannot have a negative width.
x = 9 is the width
x+3 = 9+3 = 12 is the length being 3 longer.
The rectangle is 12 ft by 9 ft to get an area of 12*9 = 108 sq ft, which confirms the answer.
12 feet by 9 feet