Sylvia wants to plant flowers in a window box that measures

Sylvia wants to plant flowers in a window box that measures 48 inches long, 10 inches high, and 18 inches wide. If a bag of potting soil holds 1,440 cubic inches of soil, how many bags should she purchase?

A. 2

B. 4

C. 6

D. 8

Solution

C. To calculate the volume of a rectangular solid, use the formula V = Iwh. In this problem you are given a length of 48 inches, a width of 18 inches, and a height of 10 in.

V = (48)(18)(10)

V = 8,640 in³

Next you need to determine how many bags of soil measuring 1,440 in³ are needed to fill the container.

8,640 in³ /1,440 in³ = 6 Bags of Soil