A photo is 4 inches wide. It is placed inside a frame with a border that is x inches wide. The total width of the photo and the frame is 7 inches. Write an equation to model the situation, then solve the equation to find the width of the border.
the border is on all sides of the photo ... 4 + 2 x = 7
To solve this problem, let's represent the width of the border with the variable x, as given in the problem.
We are told that the photo is 4 inches wide. The total width of the photo and the frame is 7 inches. Since the border is on both sides of the photo, the width of the photo plus the width of the two borders is equal to the total width of the photo and the frame.
By adding the widths together, we get the equation:
Width of the photo + 2(width of the border) = Total width
Substituting in the given values, we have:
4 + 2x = 7
Now, we can solve this equation to find the width of the border (x).
To isolate x, begin by subtracting 4 from both sides of the equation:
2x = 7 - 4
Simplifying, we have:
2x = 3
Finally, divide both sides of the equation by 2 to solve for x:
x = 3/2
Therefore, the width of the border is 1.5 inches.