I am trying to figure out how to work this problem and need help.
Q How many 2X6 pieces of 16 ft x 5 1/2 ins. for a porch that measures 16ft x 14ft?
I changed the mixed number to an improper fraction (11/2) and found the area (224).
11/2 x 224/1
Since your porch is 16 ft long and each of the 2by6's is also 16 feet long, all you have to care about is how many are neeedd side by side to go 14 feet
14 feet = 168 inches
so number of pieces to fit sideways = 168/5.5 = 30.5
Problem I see, ..
Usually a space is left between adjoining pieces of lumber , you do not say how much that space is.
The above solution implies that we leave no space, which is not advisable.
Anyway, according to the above math, you would need 31 pieces, having to cut the last piece.
To find out how many 2x6 pieces you will need for a porch that measures 16ft x 14ft, you first need to find the area of the porch.
The area of a rectangle is found by multiplying its length by its width. In this case, the length is 16ft and the width is 14ft.
Area = length × width
Area = 16ft × 14ft
Area = 224 square feet
Now, let's calculate how many 2x6 pieces are needed to cover this area.
To do this, we need to figure out the area that each 2x6 piece covers. The dimensions of a 2x6 piece refer to its nominal dimensions, which means the actual dimensions are slightly smaller. A 2x6 piece typically measures 1.5 inches thick by 5.5 inches wide.
The coverage area of a 2x6 piece is found by multiplying its actual width by its actual length. The actual width of a 2x6 piece is 5.5 inches, which is equivalent to 5.5/12 = 11/24 feet. The length of each piece is 16 feet.
Coverage Area = actual width × length
Coverage Area = (11/24 ft) × 16 ft
Coverage Area = 44/3 square feet
Now, to find the number of 2x6 pieces needed, divide the total area of the porch by the coverage area of each piece.
Number of 2x6 pieces = Total Area / Coverage Area
Number of 2x6 pieces = 224 square feet / (44/3 square feet)
Number of 2x6 pieces = 224 square feet × (3/44 square feet)
Number of 2x6 pieces = 672/44 = 15.27
Since you can't have a fraction of a piece, you will need to round up to the nearest whole number.
Therefore, you will need a minimum of 16 pieces of 2x6, considering wastage and rounding up.