Total cost

Question

A garden is in the shape of a square with a perimeter of 48 feet. The garden is surrounded by two fences. One fence is around the perimeter of the garden, whereas the second fence is 2 feet from the first fence on the outside. If the material used to build the two fences is $1.21 per foot, what was the total cost of the fences?

Answer 1

Hi Desiree,

The garden is a square of sides S, and the outer fence is also a square with sides S+2. Notice that the inner fence and the garden have the same dimensions.

P = 4S    all sides of a square are equal

48 = 4 S

12 = S. The sides of the garden and the inner fence are 12 feet each and the sides of the outer fence are 14 feet

Cost of material to build the two fences = $1.21/foot(4(12 feet) + 4(14 feet))

                                                         = $ 1.21/foot(104 feet)

                                                         = $ 125.84