I Need Help Immediatly!!

[GuMdRop]

This is due tomorrow and i CANT figure it out! I am a 7th grade algebra student and once again THIS IS DUE TOMORROW!

Here is the problem:
Suppose you have one square tile of each of these lengths: 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, and 18 feet. How can you fit them together into a rectangle? (With no cutting or overlapping of course.) To answer, gitve the coordinates of the lower left corner of each square, starting with the square at (0,0).

I need as much help as i can get so PLEASE help! thank you!

[Tide]

HINT: Start with the largest square and work your way down! There are limited possibilities for each one.

SUGGESTION: Cut some scaled sized square out of paper and jump in!

[NeutronStar]

I just did this problem using PC paint and a bunch of perfect squares. I'm not sure what it has to do with algebra though. :smile:

Anyhow, my advice is to start by figuring out where the unit square would have to go, then work up from there. (Hint: The unit square is going to have to be associated with some other squares that are only 1 unit different from each other). So take the unit square and just the squares that are 1 unit different from each other and figure out how they have to go. Then everything gets built up from there fairly easy. (hint 2: You won't get a rectangle until you're all finished - and its almost square!)

That's what I did and it all just fell right into place. I'm not sure how many ways it can be done, but it only took me about 5 minutes to do it the way I did it.