Question

You want to put a 3 inch thick layer of topsoil for a new 15 ft by 26 ft garden. The dirt store sells by the cubic yards. How many cubic yards will you need to order? The store only sells in increments of 1/4 cubic yards.

Answer 1

Let’s convert first the unit dimension of the garden from inches-feet to yards.

HEIGHT: 3in * (1 ft / 12 in) = 1/4ft * (1 yard/4ft) = 1/16 yard

WIDTH: 15 ft * (1 yard/4 ft) = 16/4yards

LENGTH: 26ft * (1 yard/3 ft) = 26/4yards

Then, let’s get the total soil capacity or volume of the garden:

(15/4) * (26/4) * (1/16) = 390/256 = 1.523 cubic yards

Since we can’t buy 0.52 cubic yard of soil, we need to round off 1.523 to the next number of cubic yards that is exactly divisible by 1/4.

It will give us then with 1 & 1/4 cubic yards.