Answer:
x+4
Step-by-step explanation:
The ratio of area to width is ...
area / width = (x^2 +3x -4)/(x -1) = ((x -1)(x +4))/(x -1) = x +4
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Effectively, you are being asked to do polynomial division. This can be accomplished several ways. The method shown above is by factoring the numerator and cancelling the common factor from numerator and denominator.
You can also do this by synthetic division or long divison. The attachment shows synthetic division giving the same answer. (Numerous resources, including Wikipedia and You.Tube, are able to explain synthetic division in detail.)
