Final answer:
Bob needs 9 cans of paint to cover a 1521 square foot ceiling, as each can cover 169 square feet, and 1521 divided by 169 equals 9.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating the Number of Paint Cans Needed
The question asks us to calculate how many cans of paint Bob will need to paint the ceiling of his restaurant. The ceiling is a square with each side measuring 39 feet. To find the area of the ceiling, we need to square the length of a side since the area of a square is found by multiplying the length of one side by itself (Area = side × side). Therefore, the area Bob needs to paint is 39 feet × 39 feet = 1521 square feet.
Each can of paint covers 169 square feet. To find out how many cans Bob will need, we divide the total area of the ceiling by the coverage area of one can: 1521 ÷ 169 = 9. Thus, Bob will need 9 cans of paint to cover the ceiling. So, the correct answer is A. 9 cans.