1. LESSON 4: PAINTING A ROOM Consumer Math p. 180-182

2. Painting a Room  How much paint should you buy? That’s the question! If you buy too much, you waste money. If you buy too little, you have to return to the store for more. Mathematics will help you to buy the correct amount.  Each can of paint is marked with the area of wall that it is supposed to cover. This coverage is listed in square feet per gallon. Painters need to know the total area to be painted. Remember: There are four quarts in one gallon.

3. Example Sarah wants to paint her living room. The paint she selects will cover 100 square feet per quart or 400 square feet per gallon. How many gallons should she buy? *Measure the living room. Round to the nearest foot. *Calculate: 8 x 12 = 96 sq. ft., 8 x 12 = 96 sq. ft., 8 x 14 = 112 sq. ft., 8 x 14 = 112 sq. ft. Add all = 416 sq. ft. *Divide the total area by the coverage per gallon. (416 / 400 = 1 gallon with 16 remaining sq. ft.) *Because each quart covers 100 sq. ft, 1 quart should be purchased for the extra 16 sq. ft. remaining. Sarah should buy 1 gallon and 1 quart.