A farmer plants corn and soybeans. This model shows the area reserved for each.

Corn: 20 acres
Soybeans: 12 acres

Which expression is equivalent to the sum of the two areas?

A. 5 (4+3)
B. 4 (5+3)
C. (4+5) (4+3)
D. 4 (5) (3)

1 answer

To find an expression that is equivalent to the sum of the areas reserved for corn and soybeans, we first need to calculate the total area:

Corn: 20 acres
Soybeans: 12 acres

The total area is:

\[ 20 + 12 = 32 \text{ acres} \]

Now, let's examine the given options to find the one that equates to 32:

A. \( 5(4+3) \)
Calculating this:
\[ 5(4+3) = 5 \times 7 = 35 \]

B. \( 4(5+3) \)
Calculating this:
\[ 4(5+3) = 4 \times 8 = 32 \]

C. \( (4+5)(4+3) \)
Calculating this:
\[ (4+5)(4+3) = 9 \times 7 = 63 \]

D. \( 4(5)(3) \)
Calculating this:
\[ 4 \times 5 \times 3 = 60 \]

From the calculations above, the only expression that equals 32 is:

B. 4(5+3)

So the correct answer is B. 4(5+3).