Perimeters in everyday situations · Year 10
In Perimeters in everyday situations (Year 10) you practise 2 skills: Changing the dimensions · Costs by perimeter. The perimeter of a shape is the sum of the lengths of all its sides, the length of the line that goes round it. When sides are equal you can multiply instead of adding: a square’s perimeter is four times its side, and a rectangle’s is twice the sum of two neighbouring sides.
The circumference of a circle is π times the diameter. As an approximation, π is about 3.14. When you know the perimeter and most of the sides, you can find a missing side: take away the known sides and divide by how many sides are missing. Before you work it out, check that every length is in the same unit. When every side is multiplied by a number, the perimeter is multiplied by the same number. The cost of a fence is the perimeter times the price of one metre.
Tip: Sketch the shape and write the length of every side, even the ones not given: that way no side is forgotten.
What you learn
Changing the dimensions
For example: The lengths in the rectangle are in centimetres. The side of length 7 is made 5 cm longer. What is the perimeter of the new rectangle?
Answer and solution
The answer: 72 cm
The new side: 7 + 5 = 12 . The new perimeter: 2 × (12 + 24) = 72
Costs by perimeter
For example: A rectangular plot is to be fenced. The lengths are in metres. One metre of fence costs £30. How much will it cost to fence the whole plot?
Answer and solution
The answer: £2460
The perimeter: 2 × (12 + 29) = 82 metres. The cost: 82 times £30, that is £2,460.
The exercises are made by rules and the answers are worked out in code, so there are new exercises every time. The topic follows the national curriculum in England: mathematics (key stages 3 and 4).