Answer:
7 ft 1 1/4 in
Explanation:
The total width of 3 paintings and 2 spaces is ...
(10.5 in) + (3 in) + (3 ft 6 in) + (3 in) + (2 ft 2 3/4 in)
= (10.5 +3 +6 +3 +2.75) in + (3 +2) ft
= 25.25 in + 5 ft = 1.25 in + 24 in + 5 ft
= 7 ft 1 1/4 in
The total width of wall space needed for the paintings is 7 feet 1 1/4 inches.
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If two more 3-inch spaces are added, one on each end, then the total width is 7 feet 7 1/4 inches. The problem isn't clear about that, saying only that there are spaces between the paintings.