Is he redoing the whole yard or just the front?
He's redoing the whole yard
How much topsoil does he need?
You will have to figure that out.
Remember he's putting a new 4 inch layer down over all the area currently covered by grass in the overhead picture above.
How big is the yard?
You can estimate it using the overhead schematic.
What kind of pickup truck does he drive?
A 2003 Ford F-150 XL.
How much can the pickup carry?
The truck bed is 80 inches long, 69
inches wide, and 20 inches tall.
How much is the delivery charge?
$30 per truckload on top of the soil cost. Each truckload can deliver up
to 18 cubic yards.
How much does the topsoil cost?
$18 per cubic yard (sold in 1/4 cubic
yard increments).
How far is the soil store?
It is 9 miles away. It takes about 20 minutes to drive there.
What gas mileage does the pickup truck get?
It averages 17 miles to the gallon.
What is the current gas cost?
Assume it's $3.79/gallon.
Using this information, figure out whether your neighbor will save money by picking up the soil himself. Use the results of your calculations to guide your decision: would you recommend that your neighbor pick up the soil himself, or pay for delivery?
Written Assignment: Write out your calculations with college level presentation and written statements that guide the reader through your process. Don't just fill the page with calculations. Label with headers what calculations you are performing for each part of your analysis. Clearly write out your final conclusions with your cost analysis using complete sentences. You need to submit your best work for evaluation, not a page of scratch paper.
1. How big is the area of the yard?
Area of the property:
Area of the house:
Area of the driveway:
Area of the yard (property – house – driveway):
2. How much topsoil will your neighbor need?
Convert 4 inches to feet:
Compute the cubic feet:
Convert cubic feet to cubic yards:
3. How much does the topsoil cost?
Amount of topsoil to be purchased:
Cost:
4. How much is the cost for delivery?
Number of truckloads:
Cost:
5. How much is the cost for your neighbor to pick up the topsoil himself?
Volume of the truck bed:
Convert cubic inches to cubic yards:
Number of trips:
Miles for number of trips:
Cost for gas:
