Question

Sean pays a landscaper to build a fence around his square garden and to put new soil down for him. The landscaper used exactly 48 feet of fencing to create the perimeter. What is the length of each side of the garden? How many square feet of ground will the landscaper need to cover with new soil?

Answer 1

Let's assume that the length of each side of the square garden is "x" feet. Since a square has four equal sides, the perimeter of the garden is:

Perimeter = 4x

We know that the landscaper used 48 feet of fencing to create the perimeter, so we can set up an equation:

48 = 4x

Dividing both sides by 4, we get:

x = 12

Therefore, the length of each side of the square garden is 12 feet.

To find the area of the garden, we can use the formula:

Area = length x width

Since the garden is a square, its length and width are equal, so we can write:

Area = x^2

Substituting the value of x, we get:

Area = 12^2 = 144 square feet

Therefore, the landscaper will need to cover 144 square feet of ground with new soil.