Final answer:
Melissa's square tomato patch will have a perimeter represented by 4a and an area represented by a², where a is the side length of the square. To create the garden plot, she can use a measuring tape for accurate dimensions. A table can then display various lengths a with their corresponding perimeters and areas.
Step-by-step explanation:
Melissa is planning a rectangular vegetable garden with a square tomato patch. To solve this, we need to write expressions for the perimeter and area, create an equation for the area, and make a table for various lengths of the tomato patch.
Assuming that the side of the square tomato patch is a feet, the perimeter would be 4a, since all sides of a square are equal in length.
The area of the square patch would be a². A table can then be constructed with different lengths of a (let's say 1 foot to 10 feet) and corresponding perimeters and areas listed in separate columns.
To measure the dimensions of the intended garden plot, Melissa could use a measuring tape. As you have suggested, a garden plot is more than a few feet long, hence a measuring tape is the ideal tool for measuring longer distances with accuracy.