Final answer:
To find the width of the portion of the driveway on which Matt plans to put concrete, we need to calculate the volume of concrete he needs and use the given total cost and price per cubic yard. By setting it up as an equation and solving for the width, we can find the answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating the Volume of Concrete
To find the width of the portion of the driveway on which Matt plans to put concrete, we need to calculate the volume of concrete he needs. The volume of a rectangular portion can be found by multiplying its length by its height by its width. In this case, the length is 8 feet and the height is 4 inches. However, we need to convert the height to feet before calculating the volume.
Since there are 12 inches in a foot, the height in feet is 4 inches / 12 inches = 0.33 feet. Now we can calculate the volume: Volume = length × height × width = 8 feet × 0.33 feet × width.
Given that the total cost of the concrete Matt needs is $58.07 and the price of concrete is $98 per cubic yard, we can set up the following equation: $58.07 = (Volume in cubic feet) × ($98/cubic yard) × (1 yard / 3 feet).
Solving for the width, we get: width = $58.07 ÷ ($98/cubic yard) ÷ (8 feet × 0.33 feet). Calculating this expression gives us the closest value to the width of the portion of the driveway on which Matt plans to put concrete.