To determine which board Mia will use for the length of the shelter, we first need to convert the desired length of 3.25 feet into inches since the board measurements are provided in inches.
- Convert feet to inches: \[ 3.25 \text{ feet} = 3.25 \times 12 \text{ inches/foot} = 39 \text{ inches} \]
Now that we know the length of the shelter is 39 inches, we can compare this measurement with the lengths of the available boards (36 inches, 39 inches, and 42 inches) to find a suitable board.
- Assessing the board lengths:
- The available boards are:
- 36 inches
- 39 inches
- 42 inches
- The available boards are:
Since the problem states that the length of the shelter will be 39 inches, we need a board that can be used for the length. However, it also mentions that the width of the shelter will be shorter than the length.
Since the width needs to be shorter than the length (39 inches), Mia cannot use the 39-inch board as the width, which leaves us with two options for the length:
-
Use the 42-inch board for the length: This works because 42 inches is greater than 39 inches and satisfies the requirement that the length can be one of Mia's boards.
-
Using the 36-inch board: This will not work because 36 inches is shorter than the required length of 39 inches.
Since Mia requires the length to be 3.25 feet (which is 39 inches), and the width must be less than the length, she should use the 42-inch board for the length of the shelter as:
- Length of shelter: 42 inches
- Width of shelter: Must be chosen from the remaining 36 inches, which is shorter than the length.
Answer: Mia will use the 42-inch board for the length of the shelter.