SOLUTION: Q: a man wants a garden fence. He has one 40' piece and 48 one foot pieces. He cannot cut any nor can he buy any more supplies. How big is the garden and what shape is best? I

Question 55668: Q: a man wants a garden fence. He has one 40' piece and 48 one foot pieces. He cannot cut any nor can he buy any more supplies. How big is the garden and what shape is best?
I have tried the semi circle , but I don't know how to figure the area correctly.I used the 40' piece as the diameter with the 48 one foot pieces in the arc. (formula= 40/2=20; A= pi 20 squared)
I have the standard rectangle with the 40' piece on one side and 40 one foot pieces on the opposite side and two four foot widths.( formula = A= L*W)
I have the 1/2 rectangle(triangle) with the two 40' lenghths and one 8 foot width.( formula = A= 1/2 (L*W) )
and I have a trapeziod with the longest side being the 40' piece and the sorter lenghth being 12 one foot pieces. the rest of the one foot pieces angle between them, 18 pieces per side.(Formula = ?)
Can you help me figure out which of my solutions is the biggest area? I think I have the right formulas but I am unsure if I used them correctly.
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20055) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Q: a man wants a garden fence. He has one 40' piece and 48 one foot pieces. He
cannot cut any nor can he buy any more supplies. How big is the garden and
what shape is best? 

A circle has the largest area for the least perimeter (circumference)

He should make the entire 88 feet into the circumference of a circle to get
the maximum area.

C = pd

88 = pd

d = 88/p = 28.01 approximately in diameter. 

Edwin

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