Hi Bob!
No worries, I'm here to help you understand the question and how to approach it.
The question is asking about the area over which the lighthouse beacon can be seen. To find this area, we need to consider the shape that represents the region visible from the lighthouse. In this case, we assume that the lighthouse has a circular visibility pattern, where the light extends in all directions equally up to a certain distance.
To solve this, we need to determine the area of a circle with a radius of 24 miles. The formula for finding the area of a circle is:
Area = π * radius^2
In this case, the radius is given as 24 miles. So let's substitute this value into the formula:
Area = π * 24^2
To calculate the area, we need to know the value of π (pi). Pi is a mathematical constant that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Since it is an irrational number, we usually approximate it to 3.14. So, let's go ahead and calculate the area:
Area = 3.14 * 24^2
Simplifying the equation:
Area = 3.14 * 576
Area ≈ 1809.44
So, the area over which the lighthouse beacon can be seen is approximately 1809.44 square miles.