Final answer:
Rick would need $486 to paint his fence. The cost was determined by first calculating the cost per square foot of Alexander's fence painting and then applying that rate to the size of Rick's fence.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how much money Rick would need to paint his fence, we first need to calculate the area of Alexander's fence and the cost per square foot. Alexander's fence is 26 feet by 8 feet, giving us an area of 208 square feet (26 feet × 8 feet). Since the cost to paint Alexander's fence was $468, we divide that by the total square feet to find the cost per square foot, which is $468 ÷ 208 square feet = $2.25 per square foot.
Next, we'll calculate the area of Rick's fence, which is 18 feet by 12 feet. The area is 216 square feet (18 feet × 12 feet). To find out how much it will cost Rick to paint his fence at the same rate, we multiply the area of his fence by the cost per square foot: 216 square feet × $2.25 per square foot.
This equals $486. Therefore, Rick would need $486 to paint his fence if the cost per square foot to paint remains the same as Alexander's.