The length of a rectangle is increased by 50% and the width is decreased by 50%. How does the area of the rectangle change?

[math_celebrity]

A = lw

If we increased l by 50%, it would be 1.5l
If we decreased w by 50%, it would be 0.5l

A = (1.5l)(0.5w) = 0.75lw

lw - 0.75lw = 0.25lw or 25% lower