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Maths at work 1 – A fencing job
Note: if you find this exercise difficult because you are unfamiliar with any of the terminology or prerequisite knowledge you may wish to refer to the answers to help you learn how to complete this type of activity.
A new small home paddock is to be constructed on the farm where you work. Your supervisor has asked you to calculate and cost the materials.
The paddock will be one hectare in area, square in shape and on flat ground. The fence will be constructed from hardwood posts and will have five high tensile barbed wires. There will be one 3.6m (12 foot) gate.
- Calculate the length of the fence.
- What is the best position for the gate and why?
- Determine the number of strainer posts required.
- Determine the number of diagonal stays required given that there
will be two diagonal stays at each corner and one stay at each side of the
gateway.
- Calculate the number of fence posts that will be needed.
- Calculate the required length of wire. Allow one extra metre
to wrap and strain each end of every wire.
- The barbed wire will be bought in 500 metre rolls. How many rolls
of wire are needed to complete the fence?
- Calculate the cost of materials using the prices given in the table below.
| MATERIAL | COST PER UNIT | NO. OF UNITS | TOTAL COST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strainer post | $20.00 | ||
| Stay | $12.00 | ||
| Fence post | $8.00 | ||
| Roll of high tensile barbwire | $70.00 | ||
| Gate (3.6m) and fittings | $120.00 | ||
TOTAL COST |
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