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Question

Difficulty: EasyUS Customary Linear Measurements

An electrician needs to organize four pieces of copper wire. Arrange the following wire lengths in order from shortest to longest.

  1. 150 inches
  2. 24 feet 6 inches
  3. 35 feet
  4. 42 yards

Answer

The correct order from shortest to longest is: 50 inches, 4 feet 6 inches, 5 feet, and 2 yards.
By converting all measurements to inches, we can clearly see the relative lengths: 50 inches is the shortest, followed by 4 feet 6 inches (which is 54 inches), then 5 feet (which is 60 inches), and finally 2 yards (which is 72 inches) as the longest.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the goal: convert all measurements to a single common unit to make comparison easy.
The target unit chosen is inches.
Comparing different units directly without conversion leads to errors.
2
Evaluate the first length: 50 inches.
50 inches remains 50 inches.
It is already in the target unit.
3
Convert the second length: 4 feet 6 inches into inches.
4×12=484 \times 12 = 48 inches. Adding the extra 6 inches gives 48+6=5448 + 6 = 54 inches.
There are 12 inches in 1 foot.
4
Convert the third length: 5 feet into inches.
5×12=605 \times 12 = 60 inches.
There are 12 inches in 1 foot.
5
Convert the fourth length: 2 yards into inches.
2×36=722 \times 36 = 72 inches.
There are 36 inches in 1 yard (or 3 feet per yard, and 12 inches per foot: 2×3×12=722 \times 3 \times 12 = 72).
6
Order the converted values from shortest to longest.
50 inches < 54 inches < 60 inches < 72 inches.
This confirms the final proper sequence of the wire pieces.

Key Concept

Converting between inches, feet, and yards to compare linear measurements.
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US Customary Linear Measurements

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