Final answer:
To determine how many square yards of carpet Irene needs, calculate the area of her living room and convert it from square feet to square yards.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many square yards of carpet Irene needs, we first need to find the area of her living room. The living room is rectangular with dimensions 18 feet wide and 24 feet long. To find the area, we multiply the length by the width: 18 feet * 24 feet = 432 square feet.
Next, we need to convert the area from square feet to square yards. Since there are 3 feet in a yard, we divide the area in square feet by 9 (3 * 3) to get the area in square yards: 432 square feet ÷ 9 = 48 square yards.
Therefore, Irene needs 48 square yards of carpet to cover her living room.