How many acres are in a parcel of land which measures a half mile by half mile?
The correct answer and explanation is:
To calculate the number of acres in a parcel of land that measures a half mile by half mile, follow these steps:
- Calculate the area of the parcel in square miles: A half mile by half mile parcel means the length and width of the land are both 0.5 miles. The area of a rectangle (or square) is calculated by multiplying the length by the width. Area=0.5 miles×0.5 miles=0.25 square miles\text{Area} = 0.5 \, \text{miles} \times 0.5 \, \text{miles} = 0.25 \, \text{square miles}
- Convert square miles to acres: There are 640 acres in one square mile. To convert the area from square miles to acres, multiply the area in square miles by 640. Area in acres=0.25 square miles×640 acres/square mile=160 acres\text{Area in acres} = 0.25 \, \text{square miles} \times 640 \, \text{acres/square mile} = 160 \, \text{acres}
Thus, a parcel of land that measures a half mile by half mile contains 160 acres.
Explanation:
The acre is a unit of area commonly used in the United States to measure large plots of land. A square mile, another unit of area, is used to describe large regions of land. When dealing with land sizes, it is often necessary to convert between these units.
In this case, the first step was to calculate the area of the land parcel in square miles by multiplying the length by the width. After determining the area in square miles, the next step was to convert it into acres. Knowing that 1 square mile equals 640 acres allowed the conversion to be simple.
This is a standard calculation used in land measurement, especially when converting between different units of area.