SOLUTION: You have been asked to find the area of a thin strip of cloth which goes around a mat. The strip is 24 feet long but only half an inch wide. 1. Calculate the area in both square fe

Question 1109599: You have been asked to find the area of a thin strip of cloth which goes around a mat. The strip is 24 feet long but only half an inch wide. 1. Calculate the area in both square feet and square inches.
2. Which unit seems most appropriate to use in this situation? Explain your reasoning.

Answer by Boreal(15235) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
In square feet it is 24feet*(1/24) feet, where the 1/24 is the fraction of a foot that 1/2 inch is.
That is 1 ft^2.
In square inches, it is 288 inches*(1/2) inch=144 sq inches.
The second is more useful from the standpoint of the strip, because the width is 1/2 inch and it is quite easy to know the length if one knows the area or vice versa.
The first is more useful in comparing it to the mat, which probably has ft^2 units.
Both have their place
1 ft^2 is 144 in^2.
RELATED QUESTIONS
1. Ken has a pool 20 feet by 24 feet. He wants to put grass in a strip of uniform width... (answered by ikleyn)

I need help with the dimensions of a strip of flooring around a rug. Catarina and... (answered by AnlytcPhil)

Framing a Painting Ali paints with watercolors on a sheet of paper 50 cm wide by 38 cm... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com,greenestamps)

All paints with watercolors on a sheet of paper 20 ijn wide by 15 in high. He then places (answered by Earlsdon)

Al paints with watercolors on a sheet of paper 21 inches wide by 12 inches high. He then... (answered by venugopalramana)

Al paints with watercolors on a sheet of paper 28 inches wide by 14 inches high. He then... (answered by checkley77)

Ali paints with watercolors on a sheet of paper 20 in. wide by 15 in. high. He then... (answered by oberobic)

Ali paints with watercolors on a sheet of paper 20 in. wide by 15 in. high. He then... (answered by josmiceli)

All paints with watercolors on a sheet of paper 26 inches wide by 18 inches high. He then (answered by solver91311)