To find the area of a rectangle, you multiply its length by its width. Hiram's blanket has dimensions of 55 inches by 43 inches, so the area can be calculated as:
Area = Length × Width = 55 inches × 43 inches.
Now, looking at the given expressions:
- \(49^2 + 6^2\)
- \(55^2 - 43^2\)
- \(49^2 - 6^2\)
- \(55^2 + 43^2\)
None of these expressions directly represent the multiplication of 55 and 43, which is what we need to find the area. However, we can analyze them:
- Options 1, 3, and 4 would not give the area because they involve squares and sum or difference which does not represent the area formula for a rectangle.
- Option 2 (\(55^2 - 43^2\)) does not represent the area but instead represents the difference of squares, which is not related to the area directly.
None of the provided expressions are correct to find the area of the blanket. The correct expression for Hiram to find the area is simply \(55 \times 43\).