The perimeter of a church window is 80 inches. If the window is in the shape of a square, what is the length of each side of the window?
A) 20 inches
B) 40 inches
C) 60 inches
D) 15 inches
Answer (1)
Define the side length of the square as s and recall the perimeter formula: P = 4 s .
Substitute the given perimeter, P = 80 inches, into the formula: 80 = 4 s .
Solve for s by dividing both sides of the equation by 4: s = 4 80 = 20 .
Conclude that the length of each side of the square window is 20 inches.
Explanation
Problem Analysis We are given that the perimeter of a square window is 80 inches. We need to find the length of each side of the window.
Perimeter Formula Let s be the length of each side of the square window. The perimeter of a square is given by the formula: P = 4 s where P is the perimeter and s is the side length.
Substitute the Perimeter We are given that the perimeter P = 80 inches. Substitute this value into the formula: 80 = 4 s
Solve for Side Length To find the side length s , divide both sides of the equation by 4: s = 4 80 s = 20
Final Answer Therefore, the length of each side of the square window is 20 inches. The correct answer is A) 20 inches.
Examples
Imagine you're building a square sandbox for your younger sibling. You have 80 inches of wood to create the frame (the perimeter). To figure out how long each side of the sandbox should be, you can use the formula for the perimeter of a square. This ensures all sides are equal and you use all the available wood, creating a perfectly square sandbox.
