Math for Work & Everyday Life (MEL4E) · Applications of Measurement

How much paint to buy

Use a coverage rate and proportional reasoning to find how many whole units of material are needed for a job, rounding up. Unlimited questions, five difficulty levels, and a full worked solution every time — free.

Practice this skill Curriculum: MEL4E-MS1

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A painter is covering a garage wall that measures 3 m by 5 m. One can of paint covers 10 square metres. How many cans of paint does the painter need to buy?

Answer: 2

See one solved, step by step

A painter is covering a community centre gym wall that measures 6 m by 6 m. One can of paint covers 10 square metres. How many cans of paint does the painter need to buy?

📘 Worked solution
1Wall area: 6 · 6 = 36 m2Area of a rectangular wall is length times height.
236 / 10 = 3.6 cansDivide the area to cover by how much one can covers.
3Round up to 4 cansYou can only buy whole cans, and you need enough to finish the job, so round up.

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