For this problem, it can be solved by forming two equations. The first equation is the area of the original rectangle. Let l be the length and w be the width. l x w = 72 will be 1st equation. Then, the 2nd equation is 3.5l * 3.5w = A. By substitution, the new area, A = 12.25( l x w) = 12.25 (72) = 882 in².
