If the dimensions of an aquarium are 17 inches long, 9 inches wide, and 11 inches tall, how much glass do they need to buy to enclose the aquarium?
Surface area = ? Square inches
To find the surface area of the aquarium, we need to find the area of each of the six sides and add them together.
1. Front and back sides (17 inches long, 11 inches tall):
Area = 17 inches * 11 inches + 17 inches * 11 inches = 187 square inches
2. Top and bottom sides (17 inches long, 9 inches wide):
Area = 17 inches * 9 inches + 17 inches * 9 inches = 153 square inches
3. Side sides (9 inches wide, 11 inches tall):
Area = 9 inches * 11 inches + 9 inches * 11 inches = 198 square inches
Now, add up the area of all six sides:
187 square inches + 153 square inches + 198 square inches = 538 square inches
Therefore, they need to buy 538 square inches of glass to enclose the aquarium.