Question

A footpath of uniform width of 2 m runs all around outside of a rectangular field 30 m long and 20 m wide. Find the area of the footpath.

Answer 1

Given: A rectangular field 30 m by 20 m with a uniform footpath 2 m wide running all around outside the field.

Step-wise calculation:

1. Area of the field

= 30 × 20

= 600 m²

2. Outer dimensions including the 2 m path on each side:

Length = 30 + 2 × 2

= 34 m

Width = 20 + 2 × 2

= 24 m

Add 4 m total to each dimension.

3. Area of the outer rectangle

= 34 × 24

= 816 m²

4. Area of the footpath

= Outer area – Field area

= 816 – 600

= 216 m²

The area of the footpath is 216 m².