Lesson 4

Discover

 

 

Landscapers deal with irregular shapes (composite figures) on a regular basis. Flower beds and swimming pools are two such examples.

 

A landscaper knows that calculating volume and capacity are important skills, since understanding these components helps determine the cost and time required to complete projects. For example, in order to install a swimming pool, the landscaper must estimate the volume of soil to be removed to fit the pool in the ground.

 

Try This 1

 

Look at the following custom-designed swimming pool.

 

 

To determine the pool’s volume, you need to divide the composite figure into objects for which you have formulas.  

1. What simple 3-D objects will you divide the swimming pool into? Draw a diagram to show the divisions.
    
2. What formulas will you use to determine the volume of each 3-D object?
   
   
3. What dimensions will you need to calculate the volume of each object?
   
   
4. What referents will you use to estimate those dimensions?
   
   
5. What measuring tools will you need to determine the dimensions?
   
   
6. What imperial units will you pick to calculate the volume?

Share 1

Share your responses to the questions in Try This 1 with a classmate or with a group of people.

• How did your divisions into simple objects compare with the divisions of your classmate? After viewing other divisions, would you change how you divided up the pool? Was there a division method that made the question easier to solve? If so, what was the division?

Save a copy of your responses to Try This 1 in your course folder.