The problem contains two main questions:

1. The product of Elle's and Mark's ages is given by the equation $2a^2 - 11a + 12$.

   • Part (a): If Elle's age is $2x - 3$, find Mark's age.
   • Part (b): If $x = 8$, calculate the ages of Elle and Mark.

2. The area of a basketball court is 40 square meters. Its length is 3 meters longer than its width. Find the length and width of the court.

Would you like detailed solutions for each part, or any specific part in more detail?

Here are some related questions to explore further:

1. How would you solve for $a$ if given different values for Elle’s age?
2. What if the area of the court was doubled? How would the length and width change?
3. Can the method used here for area problems apply to other shapes?
4. How would the equation change if the length was 5 meters longer than the width?
5. What other values of $x$ could give meaningful ages for Elle and Mark?

Tip: Breaking down word problems by identifying given data and variables helps in setting up equations more easily.