Final answer:
Shannon would need 6.562 feet of wood for a shelf that is 2 meters long, by converting meters to feet using the conversion factor of 1 meter to approximately 3.281 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
Shannon needs to convert meters to feet to determine how much wood she requires for her shelf. We know that 1 meter is approximately equivalent to 3.281 feet. Since Shannon's shelf is 2 meters long, she would need 2 meters x 3.281 feet/meter = 6.562 feet of wood.
To make this conversion, one can use a simple multiplication because the conversion factor is a fixed value. This is the type of measurement conversion that would be useful in various practical scenarios, such as when Erin is deciding on a tape measure at the hardware store which provides flexibility in measuring in both the metric and imperial systems. Similarly, for Megan measuring a wall or a student understanding scale factors in drawings.
It is important to specify the unit of measurement as pointed out with the fabric shop example. Without a unit, the measurement is incomplete and could lead to incorrect results. Always remember to multiply the length by the conversion factor to get the measurement in the desired units.