Question

you have 36 square tiles to cover a rectangular patio. each tile covers 1 square foot. if the patio must be 9 feet long, what is the maximum possible width of the patio that can be covered with the tiles? use the keypad to enter your answer in the box. the maximum possible width of the patio is □ feet.

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate the total area of the patio

Since there are 36 square tiles and each tile covers 1 square foot, the total area \(A\) of the patio is \(A = 36\) square feet.

Step2: Use the formula for the area of a rectangle

The formula for the area of a rectangle is \(A=l\times w\), where \(l\) is the length and \(w\) is the width. Given \(l = 9\) feet and \(A=36\) square feet. We can solve for \(w\) by rearranging the formula: \(w=\frac{A}{l}\).
Substitute \(A = 36\) and \(l = 9\) into the formula: \(w=\frac{36}{9}\).

Step3: Simplify the expression

\(\frac{36}{9}=4\).

Answer:

4