document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=466520>Question 466520</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I was looking to find out if I am doing my homework correctly. The problem is\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "there is a room that is 12'6\" by 10'4\" in length. I need to find out what the area is in square feet and then I need to express that as an improper fraction. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So far I have tried and got 129 for the area of the room. I am lost after that. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #319829 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=319829\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> the room is 12 feet 6 inches by 10 feet 4 inches.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "converting everything to feet, you get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the room is 12.5 feet by 10.33333333 feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "when you multiply 12.5 by 10.3333333, you get 19.16666666666 square feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "that fractional part of .16666666666666 looks like the fraction 1/6.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "i'll assume that's true for now and confirm it later.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "assuming it's true, then the answer is 129 + 1/6 square feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "converting that to an improper fraction means putting everything under a common denominator.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "since 129 is equivalent to 6*129/6, then you get the answer being 774/6 + 1/6 square feet which comes out to be 775/6 square feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you could have also solved using improper fractions to start with.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "we'll start again and solve it that way.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the room is 12 feet 6 inches by 10 feet 4 inches.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "that's equivalent to 12 and 1/2 feet by 10 and 1/3 feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "12 and 1/2 feet is equivalent to (12*2)/2 + 1/2 feet which is equivalent to 24/2 + 1/2 feet which is equivalent to 25/2 feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "10 and 1/3 feet is equivalent to (30/3) + 1/3 feet which is equivalent to 31/3 feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the dimensions of your room are now:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "25/2 feet by 31/3 feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the area is length times width which becomes:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "25/2 * 31/3 which results in (25*31)/(2*3) square feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "this is equivalent to 775/6 square feet.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "i don't believe it can be reduced further than that since 775 is not divisible by 2 or 3 or 6, so that has to be your answer (if i am correct).<BR>\n" );
document.write( "since i got the same answer 2 different ways, i'm reasonably confident it is.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "to confirm that .1666666666..... is equivalent to 1/6, i simply use my calculator to divide 1 by 6 and get the decimal answer of 1.6666666667.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the difference is in rounding.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1.66666666667 is really 1.66666666666666666666666666666......... endlessly, so the answer is rounded to the last decimal place that the display on the calculator can show.  \r<BR>\n" );
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