Chapter 4.3, Problem 17P

Ms. Dunn’s class wants to estimate the number of blades of grass in a lawn that is shaped roughly like a 30-foot-by-40-foot rectangle. The students cut 1-inch-by-i-inch squares out of sheets of paper and place these square holes over patches of grass. Each student cuts the grass from their 1-square-inch patch and counts the number of blades of grass they cut. Inside, the class calculates the average number of blades of grass they cut. This average is 37. Using these data, determine approximately how many blades of grass are in the lawn. Explain your reasoning.