Is Length times Width Square Feet?

[needin4mation]

so 10x20 is 200 sq. ft? then I do something with 144? I promise I looked it up, but I couldn't find straight answer. Sorry.

[Luke]

The problem is you're multiplying width by length in your example. Multiply length by width as in your subject line and you'll be okay. (Forget 144. That's the running time in minutes of the vid you rented for tonight.)

[HerHusband]

Yes, square feet is the length (in feet) x the width (in feet). So, 10'x20' is, in fact, 200 square feet.

The 144 you mention may have something to do with square "inches". 1 square foot is 12 inches x 12 inches (144). So, you can multiply square footage by

144 to get the square inches. For your example, 200 square feet = 28800 square inches. I'm not sure why you would need to know that though... :)

To add a little more confusion, "CUBIC" feet is the length (in feet) x the width (in feet) x the depth (in feet). For instance, if you were pouring a sidewalk that was 10'x20'x6" thick (6 inches is half a foot, or .5 feet) you would need 100 cubic feet of concrete.

Of course, concrete is usually ordered in "Cubic Yards" (3'x3'x3' or 27 cubic feet). So, for the 100 cubic feet of the last example, you would need

100/27 or 3.7 cubic yards of concrete.

Class dismissed... :)

Anthony

[Alan]

Leave it alone if you want your answer in sq. ft. Multiply by 144 if you want sq. in. Divide by 9 if you want sq. yd. Measure in meters if you want sq. m.

[Tim Fischer]

Set aside for a moment that you should know this.

Go to google, type "calculating square footage". Press enter.

A bazillion sites give you a "straight answer".

-Tim

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Go find your sixth grade teacher and complain. You should have not been passed on to the next class not knowing this.

144 is a gross.

[Reed]

If your original dimensions were in Inches, say 120"x240"=28,800 square Inches, then you would divide by 144 to convert to square Feet. 28800/144 = 200 Sq Feet

--reed

[toller]

I am glad you didn't let false pride stop you from asking.

[Calvin Henry-Cotnam]

ALL measurement formulas must work with the units involved...

Linear measurement (feet) multiplied by a linear measurement (feet) equals a square measurement (feet*feet, or square feet).

144 is a conversion factor to convert from square feet to square inches as there are 144 square inches in a square foot. The units of this conversion factor is "sq. inches per sq. ft" or sq.in/sq.ft.

If you have 200 sq.ft and multiply by 144 sq.in/sq.ft, the number part comes out to be 28800 and the units comes out as well:

sq.ft * sq.in / sq.ft = sq.in

If ever you cannot remember the calculation, just think about how the units work out. For instance, if you cannot recall how to calculate speed, think of its units: miles per hour (miles / hour) and you can quickly realize that this is distance (miles) divided by time (hours).

[Pop]

"rider89" wrote in message news:V49Ee.1974$ [e-mail]...

Apparently that, when you aren't sure of something, research it. Which is what the OP did. How do you do it when you aren't sure?

Pop

[rider89]

what do they teach in grade school these days?

bill

[Tim Fischer]

See my earlier reply. A simple google would have answered this question.

I don't usually flame people, but in this case the tiniest bit of research would have found the correct answer.

-Tim