Real-Life Math -- Solution
First, you need to calculate the width and length of the matting. The photo is 8 1/2 inches wide. You need to add 1 1/4 inches to each side of the photo.
8 1/2 + 1 1/4 + 1 1/4 (for both the left and right hand side) = 11
Now, do the same thing to calculate the length of the matting.
11 (the length of the photo) + 1 1/4 + 1 1/4 (for both the top and bottom of the photograph) = 13 1/2
The measurements of the matting are 11 x 13 1/2 inches.
Next, you calculate the area of the matting. The matting is rectangle-shaped. The formula to determine the area of a rectangle is length times width.
11 x 13 1/2 = 148 1/2 square inches
Now you can figure out the cost of the glass.
148 1/2 x $0.10 = $14.85
The cost of framing the picture is $14.85.
Conservation restoration technician Janelle Matz says she doesn't use math on a day-to-day basis. Still, situations do arise where she needs to remember basic math skills.
"When matting and framing, I need to be able to add and subtract fractions," she says. "Probably the most difficult activity, math-wise, is creating solutions of a known percentage by mixing a solid and a liquid."