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R O S E B E D -- M O R E Q U E S T I O N S ! ! ! (Math in E V E R Y D A Y L I F E) Dr. Robert J. Rapalje Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL 32773
Follow-up Math Problems -- When you answer a math question, you just get MORE questions!!
1. If all this dirt is to be replaced with one third compost, one third leaves, and one third regular dirt, then how many cubic yards of compost are needed (see picture below)? If you can buy compost for $10 per cubic yard (assuming that you or someone you know has a truck!), or by the bag, each bag being 1 cubic foot, at $1.29 per bag, how much will it cost for compost, and which way is cheaper?
SOLUTION: Preliminary Question: How many feet are in a yard? Answer: It depends upon how many people are in the yard!! (That was a joke! For those who may not be familiar with the English system of measurements, there are 3 feet in a yard!) To find the amount of compost needed, take one third of the total amount of dirt removed from the hole. This would be 1/3 of 14 cubic yards or about 5 cubic yards. Now, the tricky part is to change the cubic yards to cubic feet. You have to know how many cubic feet are in one cubic yard. Since there are 3 feet in a yard, a "square yard" will be 3 feet by 3 feet or 9 square feet. Likewise, a "cubic yard" will be 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, or 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. The amount of compost needed is 1/3 of 14 cubic yards times 27 cubic feet per cubic yard or about 126 cubic feet. By the bag, at $1.29 per bag, 126 bags will cost $162.54 plus tax. Buying compost in bulk (with a truck!) at $10 per cubic yard for 5 cubic yards would only cost $50. So, it you can get a truck, the cost for bulk is less than one third the cost to buy it in bags. Are you surprised?
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