A Math Question For The Masses

[Toddsterpatriot]

Why would I square that number? I'd do that if you gave me a side, but you already gave me the area.
Is that why you think the teacher is wrong? Did they say 210 square feet?

It's an ambiguous question.

The answer is included in the question.
Not ambiguous at all.

 

[pinqy]

This relates to a discussion in another thread. I would like you to answer the question and give a brief description of your math background.

The question is: How many square feet are contained in an area 210 feet square?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

If the area is 210 feet squared, it contains 210 square feet.

Is that how you were taught how to square a number? I was always taught you multiply the number by itself, like 210 X 210, not 210 X 1 which is what you did.

Why would I square that number? I'd do that if you gave me a side, but you already gave me the area.
Is that why you think the teacher is wrong? Did they say 210 square feet?

What you are missing is that we were NOT given the area. The wording was "210 feet square," NOT "210 square feet" NOR "210 feet squared."
X feet square means a square with a side of X feet.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

There is a difference between square feet and feet squared.

Please, explain further.

 

[pinqy]

In an area 210 square feet, there are 210 square feet.

True. But that was not the question. The question was what is the area of 210 feet square. In other words: a square with a side of 210 feet.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

This relates to a discussion in another thread. I would like you to answer the question and give a brief description of your math background.

The question is: How many square feet are contained in an area 210 feet square?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

If the area is 210 feet squared, it contains 210 square feet.

Is that how you were taught how to square a number? I was always taught you multiply the number by itself, like 210 X 210, not 210 X 1 which is what you did.

Why would I square that number? I'd do that if you gave me a side, but you already gave me the area.
Is that why you think the teacher is wrong? Did they say 210 square feet?

What you are missing is that we were NOT given the area. The wording was "210 feet square," NOT "210 square feet" NOR "210 feet squared."
X feet square means a square with a side of X feet.

The wording was "210 feet square,"

Yes, an area 210 square feet.

X feet square means a square with a side of X feet

If it said side in the question, I would agree. It didn't.

 

[irosie91]

In an area 210 square feet, there are 210 square feet.

yes----that is how I measure area in my little apartment------count the tiles

 

[irosie91]

In an area 210 square feet, there are 210 square feet.

True. But that was not the question. The question was what is the area of 210 feet square. In other words: a square with a side of 210 feet.

let's play BUZZ

 

[Wuwei]

You guys are giving me a headache. Time for a nap. Bye.

 

[saveliberty]

One says square feet and the other feet square, there is no difference. If it had said feet squared, then you would multilply. It did not say that.

 

[saveliberty]

A 210 foot perimeter would yield many different answers....

 

[pinqy]

This relates to a discussion in another thread. I would like you to answer the question and give a brief description of your math background.

The question is: How many square feet are contained in an area 210 feet square?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

If the area is 210 feet squared, it contains 210 square feet.

Is that how you were taught how to square a number? I was always taught you multiply the number by itself, like 210 X 210, not 210 X 1 which is what you did.

Why would I square that number? I'd do that if you gave me a side, but you already gave me the area.
Is that why you think the teacher is wrong? Did they say 210 square feet?

What you are missing is that we were NOT given the area. The wording was "210 feet square," NOT "210 square feet" NOR "210 feet squared."
X feet square means a square with a side of X feet.

The wording was "210 feet square,"

Yes, an area 210 square feet.

Wrong...you're reversing the word order. It did not say area and it did not say "square feet." The phrase was "feet square."

X feet square means a square with a side of X feet

If it said side in the question, I would agree. It didn't.

It doesn't have to say side, because that's what it means....."feet square" refers to the length of the side of a square.

Math Forum - Ask Dr. Math
And for a real world example: http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=389045 "The claustral buildings were arranged to the north, the cloister being 90 feet square." I don't think a cloister that is 9.5' by 9.5' makes any sense. Prison cells are larger than 90 square feet.

 

[pinqy]

One says square feet and the other feet square, there is no difference.

Yes, there is.

 

[saveliberty]

One says square feet and the other feet square, there is no difference.

Yes, there is.

Look up the definition of square feet and feet square then...

 

[irosie91]

I will never eat a pi again-----even if the apples fall on my head

 

[JoeMoma]

Area is square units. 210 square feet can be written as 210 ft^2.

 

[pinqy]

One says square feet and the other feet square, there is no difference.

Yes, there is.

Look up the definition of square feet and feet square then...

I did...and gave two examples supporting my point. Here's a third example: 217baseball
The problem given is that a baseball diamond is 90 ft square, and the accompanying diagram shows the first baseline as 90 ft long.

 

[pinqy]

Area is square units. 210 square feet can be written as 210 ft^2.

But 210 feet square is linear, not square units.

 

[OKTexas]

This relates to a discussion in another thread. I would like you to answer the question and give a brief description of your math background.

The question is: How many square feet are contained in an area 210 feet square?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

If the area is 210 feet squared, it contains 210 square feet.

Is that how you were taught how to square a number? I was always taught you multiply the number by itself, like 210 X 210, not 210 X 1 which is what you did.

Why would I square that number? I'd do that if you gave me a side, but you already gave me the area.
Is that why you think the teacher is wrong? Did they say 210 square feet?

You do know that a square has four equal sides and contains four ninety degree angles, right? You are describing a rectangle that would be 210' by 1', not a 210' square.

 

[JoeMoma]

One says square feet and the other feet square, there is no difference.

Yes, there is.

Look up the definition of square feet and feet square then...

I did...and gave two examples supporting my point. Here's a third example: 217baseball
The problem given is that a baseball diamond is 90 ft square, and the accompanying diagram shows the first baseline as 90 ft long.

But it does not say that the area is 90 ft square. Seems like a grammerical error is causing multiple interpretations.

 

[OKTexas]

In an area 210 square feet, there are 210 square feet.

That wasn't the question. The question was the area of 210 foot square.