Area Calculation: Finding Total Surface Area of 3/8 and 1/4 Fractions in 10,000m²

Fraction Operations with Area Applications

The area of a field is 10,000 square meters.

On 38 \frac{3}{8} of the land, there is a banana plantation and on14 \frac{1}{4} of there land there is a watermelon plantation.

What is the total surface area covered by the banana and watermelon plantations?

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Step-by-step written solution

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1

Understand the problem

The area of a field is 10,000 square meters.

On 38 \frac{3}{8} of the land, there is a banana plantation and on14 \frac{1}{4} of there land there is a watermelon plantation.

What is the total surface area covered by the banana and watermelon plantations?

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Identify the area covered by the banana plantation.

  • Step 2: Identify the area covered by the watermelon plantation.

  • Step 3: Sum the two areas to find the total area covered by both plantations.

Now, let's work through each step:
Step 1: The banana plantation covers 38\frac{3}{8} of the field.
Calculate its area: 10,000×38=10,000×0.375=3,750m210,000 \times \frac{3}{8} = 10,000 \times 0.375 = 3,750 \, \text{m}^2.

Step 2: The watermelon plantation covers 14\frac{1}{4} of the field.
Calculate its area: 10,000×14=10,000×0.25=2,500m210,000 \times \frac{1}{4} = 10,000 \times 0.25 = 2,500 \, \text{m}^2.

Step 3: Add these areas to find the total area covered by both plantations:
3,750m2+2,500m2=6,250m23,750 \, \text{m}^2 + 2,500 \, \text{m}^2 = 6,250 \, \text{m}^2.

Therefore, the total surface area covered by the banana and watermelon plantations is 6,250m2 \text{m}^2 .

3

Final Answer

6,250²

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Multiplication: Multiply total area by each fraction separately
  • Technique: Convert fractions to decimals: 38=0.375 \frac{3}{8} = 0.375 , 14=0.25 \frac{1}{4} = 0.25
  • Check: Sum individual areas: 3,750 + 2,500 = 6,250 m² ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Adding fractions before multiplying by total area
    Don't add 3/8 + 1/4 = 5/8, then multiply 10,000 × 5/8 = 6,250! While this gives the same answer here, it's conceptually wrong and won't work for all problems. Always calculate each plantation area separately first, then add the results.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

\( \)\( \frac{4}{5}+\frac{1}{5}= \)

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why can't I just add the fractions 3/8 + 1/4 first?

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While it works for this problem, it's not the correct approach! You need to find the actual area of each plantation separately. Adding fractions first only works when finding total fractional coverage, not individual areas.

How do I convert fractions to decimals easily?

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Divide the numerator by the denominator: 38=3÷8=0.375 \frac{3}{8} = 3 ÷ 8 = 0.375 . For 14 \frac{1}{4} , remember common conversions: 1/4 = 0.25, 1/2 = 0.5, 3/4 = 0.75.

What if the fractions don't convert to nice decimals?

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Keep them as fractions! For example, if you had 27 \frac{2}{7} of 10,000, calculate: 10,000×27=20,0007 10,000 × \frac{2}{7} = \frac{20,000}{7} square meters.

How do I check my answer makes sense?

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Ask yourself: Is my total area less than the original field? Since we're using fractions less than 1, our answer (6,250 m²) should be smaller than 10,000 m² ✓

What does 'surface area' mean in this problem?

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Surface area here just means the flat ground area covered by each plantation. It's the same as saying 'area' - don't overthink it!

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