Hank is building a dog run for his dog. He wants the ratio of the length to the width of the dog run to be 5 : 2. If he builds the dog run so the length is 10.5 feet, which equation can be used to solve for the width, x? What is the value of x?
ratio of a length to width=5/2
l:x=5:2
l/x=5/2
l=5/2x
L=10.5 feet
10.52/5=x
4.2 feet is width
Answer:
The equation is \(\\ \frac{5}{2} : \frac{10.5ft}{x}\); The value of x is 4.2ft.
Step-by-step explanation:
A ratio is like a constant that remains between two values, and we can use it to find whatever others that keep the same constant relation between them.
Hank wants a dog run that keeps a constant relation between length to the width. That is, the length must be 2.5 times to the width ( \(\\ \frac{5}{2} = 2.5\) ).
So, knowing that ratio or constant, we can represent it as follows:
\(\\ \frac{lenght}{width} : \frac{5}{2} \\\) [ 1 ]
But, it also could be expressed as the relation between the width to the length:
\(\\ \frac{width}{length}:\frac{2}{5}\) [ 2 ]
He wants a lenght of 10.5ft for building a dog run for his dog, and that this new value must keep the ratio just explained [ 1 ] to the width expected.
So, the equation is:
\(\\ \frac{5}{2} : \frac{10.5ft}{x}\)
And we have to find the value for x that solve this equation.
However, we can use an easier way to represent this using the equation [ 2 ] for solving x :
\(\\ \frac{w}{l} :\frac{2}{5} : \frac{x}{10.5ft} \\\\ x = \frac{2 * 10.5ft}{5}=4.2ft\\\)
That is, the width must be 4.2ft to keep the ratio length to the width 5:2 ( or the ratio width to the length 2:5).
To check this answer:
\(\\ \frac{length}{width} : \frac{5}{2} =2.5\)
\(\\ \frac{length}{width} = \frac{10.5ft}{4.2ft} = 2.5\).
\(\\ \frac{width}{length} : \frac{2}{5} = 0.4\\\)
\(\\ \frac{width}{length} = \frac{4.2ft}{10.5ft} = 0.4\).