Twenty-four 4-inch wide square posts are evenly spaced with 5 feet between adjacent posts to enclose a square field, as shown. What is the outer perimeter, in feet, of the fence? Express your answer as a mixed number.
Because there are 24 posts, and it is a square field, there are 24 / 4 = 6 posts per side.
Some of the sides share posts.
So we calculate the top and bottom sides separate from the left and right sides.
5 feet = 60 inches.
So since there are 6 posts, it is 6 * 4 = 24 inches plus, 5 * 60 = 300 inches.
So 24 + 300 = 324 inches.
324 * 2 = 648 total inches for top and bottom sides.
648/12 = 54 feet.
Because the posts are shared, we actually calculate 6 - 2 = 4 sides for each left and right side.
So 4 * 4 = 16 inches plus, 3 * 60 = 180 inches.
So 16 + 180 = 196 inches.
196 * 2 = 392 total inches for left and right sidses.
392 / 12 = \(\frac{98}{3}\) feet.
So the answer is \(54+\frac{98}{3}\)
\(86\frac{2}{3}\) feet should be the answer?