Final answer:
To find the length of a rectangle given its perimeter and area, use the formulas for perimeter and area. In this case, the length of the rectangle is 6 cm.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the length of a rectangle given its perimeter and area, we can use the formulas:
Perimeter = 2(length + width)
Area = length * width
In this case, the perimeter is given as 16 cm and the area is given as 12 cm2. Let's solve:
16 = 2(length + width)
12 = length * width
From the first equation, we can simplify it to:
8 = length + width
Now we can solve the equations simultaneously:
width = 8 - length
12 = length * (8 - length)
12 = 8length - length2
Now rearrange the equation:
length2 - 8length + 12 = 0
Factor the quadratic equation:
(length - 6)(length - 2) = 0
From the equation, we can see that length = 6 or length = 2. Since the rectangle cannot have a length of 2 cm (as it would not be larger than its width), the length of the rectangle is 6 cm.