Final answer:
To determine the number of boxes needed to tile the table, calculate the total area of the table and then divide it by the area of each tile. In this case, the table's area is 96 square inches and each tile has an area of 4 square inches. By dividing the table's area by the area of each tile, Elena will need 24 boxes of tiles.
Step-by-step explanation:
To tile the table, Elena needs to calculate the total area of the table and then divide it by the area of each tile to determine the number of boxes needed. The table's area can be found by multiplying the length and width of the table. Once the area is determined, it can be divided by the area of each tile to find the number of boxes needed. Since each tile is 2 inches on each side, its area is 2 inches multiplied by 2 inches.
For example, if the table is 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, the area of the table is 4 feet multiplied by 2 feet, which equals 8 square feet. To convert this to square inches, multiply by 12 inches per foot to get 96 square inches.
Next, divide the table's area (96 square inches) by the area of each tile (4 square inches) to find the number of tiles needed. This can be calculated as 96 square inches divided by 4 square inches, which equals 24 tiles.