A carpenter needs to cut four sections, each 3-feet 8-inches long, from a piece of molding. If the board is only sold by the foot, what’s the shortest length of board she can buy?

Convert the mixed number to inches. 3 feet 8 inches equals 44 inches (12 inches per foot × 3 feet = 36 inches + 8 inches = 44 inches). 44 inches (length each section needs to be) × 4 (number of sections needed) = 176 inches (total molding needed). To determine the amount of molding needed in feet, convert 176 inches into feet by dividing 176 inches by 12 inches. You get 142/3 feet, so the shortest board length is 15 feet.