Question

This is urgent, please answer!

Michael is buying carpet for a room with the dimensions shown.

Michael calculates that the area he will cover with carpet is 187 1/2 square feet.

Explain why Michaels reasoning is incorrect, and give the correct area I. Square feet

Answer 1

1/2 = 0.5

12 & 1/2 = 12 + 1/2 = 12 + 0.5 = 12.5

4 & 1/2 = 4 + 1/2 = 4 + 0.5 = 4.5

Refer to the diagram below. Note how I divided the figure into two rectangles.

The larger red rectangle is 12.5 feet by 10 feet. It has area 12.5*10 = 125 square feet.

The smaller blue rectangle has dimensions 4.5 feet by 5 feet (the 5 is from 15-10 = 5), so it has area 4.5*5 = 22.5 square feet

Now add up those individual areas to get the total area

125+22.5 = 147.5

Then convert that to a mixed number

147.5 = 147 + 0.5 = 147 + 1/2 = 147 & 1/2

The correct area is 147 & 1/2 feet