Sheila places a 54 square inch photo behind a 12-inch-by-12-inch piece of matting.
the photograph is positioned so that the matting is twice as wide at the top and bottom as the sides.
write an equation for the area of the photo in terms of x.

The are of a rectangle is calculated by multiplying the length and the width of the shape. First, we determine the dimensions of this figure. We do as follows:

Width = 12 - 2x - 2x = 12 - 4x
Length = 12 - x - x = 12 - 2x

Area = (Length)(Width)
Area = (12 - 2x )(12-2x)

1.17+3.99a. you combine the terms with a to create 3.99 and the 1.17 stays because it has no like terms or a variable