Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics (5733)GeometryEasy

A landscaper is designing a rectangular garden plot that is 15 feet long and 8 feet wide. If they want to place a fence around the entire perimeter of the garden, how many feet of fencing will they need?

  1. A120 feet
  2. B60 feet
  3. C46 feet
  4. D23 feet
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C. 46 feet

The perimeter of a rectangle is calculated by adding the lengths of all four sides, or 2 * (length + width). For a garden 15 feet long and 8 feet wide, the perimeter is 2 * (15 + 8) = 2 * 23 = 46 feet.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. This is twice the area, not the perimeter.
  • B. This is the area of the garden, not the perimeter.
  • D. This is simply the sum of length and width, not the perimeter.

Perimeter of a Rectangle

The total distance around the outside of a rectangle.

  • Calculated by adding all four side lengths.
  • Formula: P = 2 * (length + width) or P = 2L + 2W.
  • Units are linear (e.g., feet, meters).

Memory trick: Around the rectangle, path you make, two lengths and two widths for goodness sake!

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