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| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
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Question from : Deanna I am trying to cover a 16 x 31 foot ceiling with tablecloths. For sale, are 90 x 132 inch tablecloths for $4.97 a piece and 60 x 102 inch tablecloths for $3.85 a piece. Which would be my cheapest option to cover the entire space? |
Hi again Deanna,
Let's do this one by area. The ceiling is 16 feet by 31 feet and there are 12 inches in a foot so the area is
\[16 \times 12 \times 31 \times 12 = 71,424 \mbox{ square feet.}\]
A 90 inch by 132 inch table cloth is $90 \times 132 = 11,880$ square feet and $\large \frac{71,424}{11,880}\normalsize = 6.012.$ Thus you need 7 tablecloths and the cost will be $7 \times \$4.97 = \$34.79.$
A 60 inch by 102 inch tablecloth is $60 \times 102 = 6,120$ square inches and $\large \frac{71,424}{6,120}\normalsize = 11.67.$ Thus you need 12 tablecloths and the cost will be $12 \times \$3.85 = \$46.20.$
Penny
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