GED Mathematical Reasoning TestQuantitative Problem Solving with MeasurementMedium
A farmer is building a new barn with a gable roof. The roof has two rectangular sections, each 40 feet long and 25 feet wide. To purchase enough roofing material, the farmer needs to calculate the total surface area of these two sections. What is the total area of the roof?
- A4000 square feet
- B2000 square feet
- C1000 square feet
- D500 square feet
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. 2000 square feet
Each rectangular roof section has an area of length × width = 40 feet × 25 feet = 1000 square feet. Since there are two such sections, the total area is 2 × 1000 square feet = 2000 square feet.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This would be an overestimation, possibly from multiplying by 4 instead of 2, or a calculation error.
- C. This is the area of only one roof section, not both.
- D. This is only half the area of one section (25 * 40 / 2) or a calculation error.
Area of a Rectangle
The area of a rectangle is the amount of space it covers on a flat surface, calculated by multiplying its length and width.
- Formula: A = L × W
- Measured in square units (e.g., square feet, m²).
- Represents a 2D surface.
Memory trick: Length times Width, then double for the roof's full might!