Question

Mr. Thompson has been asked to partition some space in a garage for storage. He estimates 6 square feet per individual will be required to meet the needs of 15 people. If the storage space takes up 5% of the garage, what is the size of the garage?

Answer 1

1800 sq ft.

Explanation:

Let x represent the amount of space in the garage.

We know that he is estimating 6 sq ft per person, for 15 people; this gives us

6(15) = 90 sq ft.

This is 5% of the total, x; 5% = 5/100 = 0.05; this gives us 0.05x.

Together these give us the equation

0.05x = 90

Divide both sides by 0.05:

0.05x/0.05 = 90/0.05

x = 1800

Answer 2

The garage is 1800 sq feet.