A photograph has a length that is 2 inches longer than its width, x. So its area is given by the expression x(x + 2) square inches. If the area of the photograph is 48 square inches, what is the width of the photograph?
We have the equation x(x + 2) = 48. Expanding the equation gives x^2 + 2x = 48. Subtracting 48 from both sides gives x^2 + 2x - 48 = 0. We can then factor the equation into (x + 8)(x - 6) = 0. To find the width of the photograph, we take the positive value of x, which is x = 6. Therefore, the width of the photograph is 6 inches.
