Now write an expression in terms of x and y that represents the total number of tiles needed for 72 square feet.

Let t represent the number of tiles needed for 1 square foot.

Then the total number of tiles needed for 72 square feet can be expressed as:

t * 72

However, since the size of each tile is given in terms of x and y, we need to use the area formula:

area = length * width

For each tile, the length and width are x and y, respectively.

So, the area of each tile is:

x * y

Therefore, the expression for the total number of tiles needed can be written as:

(x * y) * 72

To calculate the total number of tiles needed for 72 square feet, we need to know the dimensions of each tile. Let's assume that each tile has a length of x feet and a width of y feet.

To find the area of one tile, we multiply the length (x) by the width (y), giving us xy square feet.

Since we want to cover a total area of 72 square feet, we can divide the total area by the area of one tile:

Total number of tiles = Total area / Area of one tile

Total number of tiles = 72 / (xy)

Therefore, an expression in terms of x and y representing the total number of tiles needed for 72 square feet is: 72 / (xy)