Final answer:
Kelko will need to buy 132 inches of ribbon to go around the edge of a tablecloth with a diameter of 42 inches, after calculating the circumference with the formula C = π x d and using an approximation of 3.14 for π.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to determine how many inches of ribbon will Kelko need to buy if the diameter of a tablecloth is 42 inches. This can be solved by calculating the circumference of the circle, because the ribbon will need to go around the outer edge of the tablecloth which is a circular shape.
Let's start by recalling the formula for circumference, which is C = π x d, where C is the circumference and d is the diameter of the circle. Given the diameter of 42 inches:
C = π x 42 inches
To calculate this, we'll use the approximation of π as 3.14:
C = 3.14 x 42 inches
C = 131.88 inches
Now, rounding to the nearest whole number, Kelko will need to buy 132 inches of ribbon. This corresponds to option (a).