Answer:
A
Step-by-step explanation:
Let the two sides of the rectangle be x and y.
Then the perimeter will be:
[tex]2x+2y=P[/tex]
Since the perimeter is 54:
[tex]2x+2y=54[/tex]
We know that one side of the rectangle is 3 inches shorter than the other.
Let y be the shorter side. It is 3 less than x.
Therefore:
[tex]y=x-3[/tex]
Then by substitution, we acquire:
[tex]2x+2(x-3)=54[/tex]
The answer is A.