A rectangular floor measures 15 feet by 12 feet. Flooring... | SAT Ratios, rates, proportional relationships, and units Question, Answer Explained

Question bank / Ratios, rates, proportional relationships, and units

Math · Problem-Solving and Data AnalysisMedium

A rectangular floor measures $15$ feet by $12$ feet. Flooring costs $\$4.50$ per square yard. What is the total cost of the flooring needed to cover the entire floor? ( $1$ yard $= 3$ feet)

$\$20.00$

$\$90.00$

$\$270.00$

$\$810.00$

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B

The area of the floor is $15 \times 12 = 180$ square feet. One square yard is $3 \times 3 = 9$ square feet, so the floor's area is $\frac{180}{9} = 20$ square yards. The cost is $20 \times 4.50 = 90$ dollars.

Choice C divides $180$ by $3$ instead of $9$ , but a square yard contains $3 \times 3 = 9$ square feet.

Why the other choices are wrong

A. 20 is the area in square yards. It still has to be multiplied by $4.50 per square yard.
C. This divides 180 square feet by 3, but a square yard is 3 × 3 = 9 square feet.
D. This multiplies 180 square feet by the price per square yard without converting the area to square yards.

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