# All you math-type people, do me a favor...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-you-math-type-people-do-me-a-favor/23451>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 25, 2000, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-you-math-type-people-do-me-a-favor/23451 "2000-06-25T06:08:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mauve\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@Mauve\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauve_Dog)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-you-math-type-people-do-me-a-favor/23451/21 "2000-06-25T08:32:12Z")

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> [@](#):
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> \*\*  
> OK, thanks a million!  
> Oh, and thanks for not calling me names or indicating how hard you were laughing at me!  
> \*\*

I would never even think of doing such a thing 🙂

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**Author:** ![Eggs\_a\_la\_Ted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Eggs\_a\_la\_Ted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggs_a_la_Ted)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-you-math-type-people-do-me-a-favor/23451/22 "2000-06-25T15:43:42Z")

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> [@](#):
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> **(10 mi^2) x (1760 yds / 1 mi)^2 = (10 mi^2) x (3,097,600 yd^2 / 1 mi^2) = 30,970,600 yd^2**

Sometimes I just love the metric system. 😃

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**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-you-math-type-people-do-me-a-favor/23451/23 "2000-06-25T15:55:15Z")

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> [@](#):
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> \*\*  
> AACCCKKKK! Do I just pick the one that I like since the word problem didn’t give me specifics? Or should I just do it both ways and indicate that the confusion is on the part of the problem-writer?  
> \*\*

If the problem actually states “an area 32 miles square by 10 yards deep,” (which I think you say it does) then there is no confusion on the part of the problem. It does mean an area 32 miles by 32 miles. That should be your answer.

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