Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metres

A_Iverson_I

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• Feb 1, 2011

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Hey guys... I am wondering how to correctly calculate the square metres of a bunch of items... for example furniture.

Say you estimate 6 mins per 1 m2, how can you best calculate furniture into that by giving each piece of furniture an approximate calculation.

So I want to get the total square metres of the lot of items, after I get that number I can work out the amount of time easily..... but I'm just wondering how to go about getting the total amount of square metres lol

Thanks very much!

 

Cobretti

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

sum the (length x width) in metres of each item = m2

although furniture is 3D it should be calculated in m3. anyway ignoring the 3rd dimension.

however i can see why this problem is simplifed due to floor space being 2D.

 

A_Iverson_I

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

Oh..... it's actually supposed to be m3 then..... I wasn't aware that existed lol.... thought it was a typo.

So it would be length x width & something with depth?

 

sgt_pepper

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

Cobretti said:

sum the (length x width) in metres of each item = m2

although furniture is 3D it should be calculated in m3. anyway ignoring the 3rd dimension.

however i can see why this problem is simplifed due to floor space being 2D.

Click to expand...

yep. this is primary school stuff dude...so if you want the total of all furniture, you need to add all the heights together, then all the widths, then multiply the two totals.
unless im not understanding the Q properly?
are you stacking the furniture? as in, will the third dimension become a factor?
also, youve piqued my interest. what does time have to do with it?

 

A_Iverson_I

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

Ok..... well basically I'm doing up a tool that is supposed to calculate an "approx" m3 total of all the furniture (so I need to apply a specific amount to each different piece of furniture) & then once we get the amount of m3 we calculate that by 6 mins to equal the approx amount of time it will take to move it.

 

Cobretti

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

sgt_pepper said:

yep. this is primary school stuff dude...so if you want the total of all furniture, you need to add all the heights together, then all the widths, then multiply the two totals.
unless im not understanding the Q properly?
are you stacking the furniture? as in, will the third dimension become a factor?
also, youve piqued my interest. what does time have to do with it?

Click to expand...

Im' guessing the time may be a 6minute average to compensate for varying heights of furniture to simplify the problem. SO instead of using a m3 measure it uses just the floor space m2 measure

Eg a chair would take less then 6mins to move but a huge wall unit that is 1.2metres tall may take 12mins.

hard to say as I do not know what the exact problem is.

Hence why I asked why isn't height considered (3rd dimension) in this problem.

a_iverson, anyway when you work out what the problem (if you need m2 or m3)

m3 = length x width x height

m2 = length x width (as these two are the things that impact on floor space not height,)

 

A_Iverson_I

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

Haha..... ok thx guys. I just found out that m3 is called a "cubic metre" & hence was able to find this page.. How to Calculate Cubic Meters | eHow.com

So basically all I need to do is something like this..

Item 1: 3 x 4 x 5 = 60
Item 2: 5 x 2 x 1 = 10

Total = 70 Cubic Metres / 7 Hours

 

Cobretti

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

yep, but that is for rectangular and square shaped objects.

triangles, circles, etc.. have their own formula. but i am sure your problem is meant to be a simple

l x w x h

like you did for your example items 1 and 2

f it is an L shaped couch just cut it (theoretically not with a chainsaw) into two rectangles and sum the m3 of each item to make one L couch haha.

 

A_Iverson_I

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

Ok great - thanks Dominik! It's been a long time since Primary School!

 

Cobretti

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

me too, i would have to look up volumetric equations for other shapes haha.

 

sgt_pepper

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

and i told my teacher id never need this...

 

A_Iverson_I

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• Feb 2, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

sgt_pepper said:

and i told my teacher id never need this...

Click to expand...

LMAO! That'd be right!

 

Wockrog

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• Feb 5, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to charge by the hour?

 

A_Iverson_I

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• Feb 5, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

Captain America said:

wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to charge by the hour?

Click to expand...

It's not my business so it'd not up to me, but I assume they do...... the tool is just to estimate, that's all.

 

Cobretti

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• Feb 5, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

Captain America.

Companies offer two ways.

- Fixed cost
- By hour

sometimes it is cheaper to go fixed cost and most times (if you haven't got a lot of **** and packed it yourself) is hourly rate.

I reckon it is to give them a way to better and quicker estimate fixed quotes.

 

magohaydz

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• Feb 6, 2011

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Re: Anyone good at Maths here? Trying to work out some calculations with square metre

I wish I saw this thread earlier. I could do this stuff in my sleep, as I have used maths equations virtually every single day since leaving school. Its the one class that I never said "I'll never use this in real life".