Don is planting flowers in the school garden's planter box. The planting are is five and one-half feet long and 10 inches wide. Each plant is 2 inches wide. There must be 8 inches of space between the flowers. What is the largest number of plants he can put into the planter box? Using complete sentences, explain (in detail) your reasons for your answer. You many draw a picture or some other illustration,, but it must still be accompanied by complete sentences explaining your placement of the plants.

2 answers

I must complete this today.
5.5 feet = 66 inches
each plant is at the center of a 6x6 square (why?)

the 10" width of the box only allows 1 row of plants, unless they can be planted 1" from the box sides, in which case there may be 2 rows.

So, we have 66/6 = 11 plants in each row, assuming that no plant is planted exactly on the end of the box.