How wide is the box?

Question

3 switches need to be installed in a panel. The switches are 2 1/2 inches wide. There will be 1 1/4 inch clearance between the switches and 3 7/8 inches between any switch and edge of the box. How wide is the box? 

Answer 1

Hi Alexandra,

 

I strongly recommend that you draw a diagram for this problem and label all of the parts of the diagram with the measurements provided.

 

Then, you need to determine which arithmetic operation should be used to answer this question. Should you add, subtract, multiply, or divide the widths in order to find the total width of the box?

 

If you determine that you should add or subtract, you will need to find a common denominator (the least common multiple of the denominators) before you can do the operation.

 

I hope that helps you get started. If you have any further questions or would like a critique of your solution, please post!