Question

Emily just got a dog and wants to install a fence in her backyard. The straight fence panels come in 8-foot-long pieces. She also plans to get a 6-foot-long gate panel. She measured the area starting at her house, going around her yard, and ending at the side of her garage. Emily needs to order enough fence panels to cover a distance of 78 feet. Which equation can Emily use to find x, the number of straight fence panels she will need?

1) x = 78 / 8
2) x = 78 / (8 + 6)
3) x = 78 - 8 - 6
4) x = 78 + 8 + 6

Answer 1

To find the number of fence panels needed, Emily should use the equation x = (78 - 6) / 8, which accounts for the gate and divides the remaining length by the length of a panel.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question Emily needs to solve to determine the number of straight fence panels (x) required for her backyard involves simple division. To calculate x, Emily should subtract the length of the gate panel from the total length required and then divide by the length of one fence panel. The correct equation is:

x = (78 - 6) / 8

This equation accounts for the 6-foot-long gate panel and then divides the remaining length by 8 feet, which is the length of each straight fence panel.