Question

Emil is cutting a 72-inch-long board and a 54 in long board into shelving. He wants to make as many shelves as he can while using up all the wood. What is the longest possible length of the shelves?

Answer 1

Answer: The longest possible length of the shelves = 18 inches

Explanation:

Given: Lengths of two boards are 72-inches and 54 inches.

To make as many shelves as he can while using up all the wood we will find the longest possible length of the shelves = HCF ( 72, 54)

72 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3

54 = 2 x 3 x 3 x 3

HCF(72,54) = 2 x 3 x 3 = 18

Hence, the longest possible length of the shelves = 18 inches