What are the dimensions that will yield 400 square feet of area?

Answer 1

Something that has 400 square feet of area can have an infinite number of dimensions. As area (a) is length (l) times width (w), there are an infinite number of combinations that will yield that figure. a = l x w and 400 = l x w so the length and width can be anything as long as the product of the two is 400. Let's look at some examples. 1 ft x 400 ft = 400 ft2 2 ft x 200 ft = 400 ft2 4 ft x 100 ft = 400 ft2 Bored yet? Don't be. Here's the thing. We left out all the "fraction" dimensions. Let's look at just a couple of those from the 1 ft x 400 ft = 400 ft2 and go "down" from there. 1/2 ft x 800 ft = 400 ft2 1/4 ft x 1600 ft = 400 ft2 1/8 ft x 3200 ft = 400 ft2 See how it works? And we only did a couple of them. There are infinitely many measurements that meet the criterion. Certainly a lot or a structure that has 400 ft2 of area or floor space respectively and has 1/2 ft x 800 ft as its dimensions is a bit on the ridiculous side. But the dimensions are possible. The question asked for dimensions that would equal 400 ft2 and that is what is answered.