Question

The area of a rectangular patio is 5 5/8 square yards, and its length is 1 1/2. What is the patio width, in yards

Answer 1

The width is 3 3/4. you just have to divide 5 5/8 by 1 1/2.

Answer 2

let's firstly convert those mixed fractions to improper fractions and then proceed.

$\bf \stackrel{mixed}{5\frac{5}{8}}\implies \cfrac{5\cdot 8+5}{8}\implies \stackrel{improper}{\cfrac{45}{8}}~\hfill \stackrel{mixed}{1\frac{1}{2}}\implies \cfrac{1\cdot 2+1}{2}\implies \stackrel{improper}{\cfrac{3}{2}} \\\\[-0.35em] ~\dotfill$

$\bf \textit{area of a rectangle}\\\\ A=Lw~~ \begin{cases} L=length\\ w=width\\ \cline{1-1} L=\frac{3}{2}\\ A=\frac{45}{8} \end{cases}\implies \cfrac{45}{8}=\cfrac{3}{2}w\implies \cfrac{45}{8}=\cfrac{3w}{2}\implies 90=24w \\\\\\ \cfrac{90}{24}=w\implies \cfrac{15}{4}=w\implies 3\frac{3}{4}=w$