ASVAB · Applied Geometry

A rectangular room is 12 feet long and 9 feet wide. How many square feet of carpet are needed to cover the floor?

Correct answer

108 square feet

  1. A 42 square feet
  2. B 108 square feet
  3. C 120 square feet
  4. D 21 square feet

Why this is the answer

The area of a rectangle is length × width. Here area = 12 ft × 9 ft = 108 square feet. Carpeting a floor is an area problem, so you multiply the two dimensions. Be careful not to confuse area with perimeter: the perimeter (distance around) would be 2 × (12 + 9) = 42 feet, which is offered as a distractor. Square footage of a floor is always length times width. The room needs 108 square feet of carpet.
Source: ASVAB AR, Area Application

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About this topic: Applied Geometry

Applied geometry on the ASVAB means perimeter, area and volume of everyday shapes — carpet for a room, fencing for a yard, water in a tank. The formulas are simple; the trap is choosing area when the question needs perimeter, or forgetting units. This is one of 9 Arithmetic Reasoning questions on applied geometry, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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