First, we determine the area of the piece of cardboard by multiplying its dimensions. area of cardboard = (8.5 inches) x (11 inches) = 93.5 in² Then, we solve for the area of the cut out square, area of the square = (4 inches) x (4 inches) = 16 in² Then, we subtract the areas giving us the area of the frame which is equal to, 77.5 in²
The answer would be 9. 9x3=27 and 9x4=36. Although 3 fits into both, 9 is the BIGGER number that also fits into both of the numbers shown in the problem.