A fence around a square garden is madr up 4 equal-sized pieces that are each 5 1/2 feet long. Matt decided to make the sides 2 1/2 times longer. How much fencing does he need in all?
the answer is 32
To find out how much fencing Matt needs in total, we need to first find the length of one side of the square garden.
Given that each equal-sized piece of the fence is 5 1/2 feet long, and Matt decided to make the sides 2 1/2 times longer, we can calculate the length of one side of the square garden as follows:
Length of one side = 5 1/2 feet x 2 1/2 = (11/2) feet x (5/2) = (55/4) feet = 13.75 feet
Since a square garden has four sides of equal length, the total length of the fence needed is obtained by multiplying the length of one side by 4:
Total fencing needed = 13.75 feet x 4 = 55 feet
Therefore, Matt needs 55 feet of fencing in total.
4 * 5 1/2 * 2 1/2 = 55 ft
Extra credit: How many pieces is that? Are leftover portions after cutting to be used as needed?