To calculate the total distance around the park, we need to find the perimeter of the rectangular park. The formula for the perimeter (P) of a rectangle is:
\[ P = 2 \times (\text{length} + \text{width}) \]
a. Given that the park is 4.6 miles long and 2.7 miles wide, we can plug these values into the formula:
\[ P = 2 \times (4.6 , \text{miles} + 2.7 , \text{miles}) = 2 \times (7.3 , \text{miles}) = 14.6 , \text{miles} \]
So, the total distance around the park is 14.6 miles.
b. If a racecar drives 50 times around the park, the total distance it will travel is:
\[ \text{Total distance} = 50 \times \text{Perimeter} = 50 \times 14.6 , \text{miles} \]
Calculating this gives:
\[ \text{Total distance} = 730 , \text{miles} \]
Therefore, if the racecar drove around the park 50 times, it would travel 730 miles.