Which statement accurately describes how the bottom area in acres was determined in the example?

• A. It was calculated by multiplying the site length by the width and converting to acres.
• B. It was calculated by multiplying the site depth by the width.
• C. It was calculated by multiplying the length in miles by the width in miles.
• D. It was equal to the surface area in square feet.

Answer: (A)

The bottom area in acres is found by first calculating the planform area from the horizontal dimensions, then converting that square-area into acres. Multiply the length by the width to get the area in square units (such as square feet). Then convert that square-area to acres, using 1 acre = 43,560 square feet (or the appropriate conversion if your dimensions are in miles or meters). This is why multiplying length by width and then converting to acres is the correct method. For example, 200 ft by 150 ft gives 30,000 square feet, which is about 0.689 acres after conversion. The other options don’t match this process: one uses depth instead of horizontal dimensions, another uses miles without the correct conversion, and one equates acres directly with square feet rather than converting.