Question

sarah needs to buy mulch for her garden. she drew a diagram of his garden. each square represents 1 square yard. five pounds of mulch is enough to cover 50 square yards. mulch is sold in 2-pound bags. how many bags of mulch does sarah need? ____ bags

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate garden area

Divide shape into 2 rectangles:

1. Large rectangle: $8 \times 6 = 48$ square yards
2. Small rectangle: $4 \times 3 = 12$ square yards

Total area: $48 + 12 = 60$ square yards

Step2: Find mulch needed (pounds)

Set up proportion: $\frac{5 \text{ lbs}}{50 \text{ sq yd}} = \frac{x}{60 \text{ sq yd}}$
Solve for $x$: $x = \frac{5 \times 60}{50} = 6$ pounds

Step3: Calculate number of bags

Each bag is 2 pounds: $\frac{6}{2} = 3$

Answer:

3 bags