Chapter 9 - Quadratic Functions and Equations - 9-5 Completing the Square - Practice and Problem-Solving Exercises - Page 581: 54

The width of the ribbon in inches is $1.5$.

We have the formula for the area of the ribbon: $A=lw$ Plug in values: $24=(2x+13)x$ $2x^2+13x=24$ $2x^2+13x-24=0$ $(2x-3)(x+8)=0$ $(2x-3)=0$ or $x+8=0$ $x=\frac{3}{2}$ or $x=-8$ The width cannot be negative. Therefore, the width of the ribbon in inches is $1.5$.