Question

1. Anne wants to join five pieces of paper together. She plans to use 3 rectangular pieces of the same size and 2 square pieces of the same size. The length of each rectangular piece is 3 1/2 feet. The width of each rectangular piece, w, is the same as the length of each square piece. The expression below can be used to find the total surface area of the five pieces of paper. Anne decides that the width, w, of the rectangular pieces should be 2 feet. What is the total surface area, in square feet, of all five pieces of paper?

Answer 1

Answer and explanation:

Surface area of a rectangle = length * width

Surface area of a square = a² where a is length of a side

To find total surface area of the the five pieces of paper, we add up all the areas of all the shapes

Given that length of rectangle =3.5

And width = 2

Area of rectangle =3.5*2=7

Area of 3 rectangles given they are all equal = 7*3=21

Since width of rectangle equal to width of square and all sides of square are equal

Area of square = 2 *2 =4

Area of the two squares =4*2=8

Total surface area of the five plane shapes = 21+8= 29