Find the total area from two shapes

Question

Zach works for a landscaping company and needs to know how much grass to order for his next project. The lawn is rectangular with a triangular top at the roadway. The property is 100 feet wide and it is 80 feet to the road at one side and 110 feet to the road at the other side.

Answer 1

Is this what the lawn looks like?

 

l  rrrrr

lllll  rrrrr

llllllllll  rrrrr

lllllllllllllllll  rrrrr

llllllllllllllllllllllll

llllllllllllllllllllllll

llllllllllllllllllllllll

llllllllllllllllllllllll

llllllllllllllllllllllll

 

l's are lawn and r's are road (excuse me ascii drawing). 

 

I think this is what Jacoby is suggesting.

Answer 2

Oepirus,

 

Assuming that the top portion of the plot results in a right triangle, which I am sure of, we can determine the area of both the triangle and the rectangle separately from the giving information.

 

If you can visualize a box shape with a slanted top then you can "mark" the sides of the giving shape. 

 

The 110ft would be the side of the shape including the high side of the rectangle. The 80ft would just be the rectangle to include the low side of the triangle. The 100ft is the width of the rectangle and the base of the triangle. Hopefully you would be able to draw this diagram and/or picture this in your head.

 

Equations you must know: Area of triangle = 1/2*base*height.   Area of rectangle = length*width

 

I will let you do the algebra. You should come up with 950ft^2 to check your work.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Jacoby