A circular garden has a radius of 5 meters. A path of uniform width surrounds the garden. If the total area of the garden and the path combined is 144π square meters, what is the width of the path?

✓ Correct Answer: Option C

Let R be the radius of the garden plus path. The total area is πR^2 = 144π, so R^2 = 144, which means R = 12 meters. The path width is the total radius minus the garden's radius: 12 - 5 = 7 meters.