ould you like to be a building inspector for one day?
In order to accomplish your task as inspector-trainee, you will need a ruler, a pencil,
and a calculator.
Have you ever noticed that the structure of a house is
based on geometrical shapes? As a good inspector, can you spot them?
A square
A rectangle
A triangle
Some shapes are not found in all houses, but try to
identify them anyway:
A circle
A semi-circle
An oval
Which of these shapes does the front door correspond to?
A good inspector should know how to measure
surface area. Using your ruler, measure the height and width of the door:
Height: _________________________
Width: _________________________
Then use your calculator to calculate the surface area
of the door. All you have to do is multiply the length by the width to find the answer:
Surface area:____________________
Then you must inspect the stairs. Check to see which
types of steps are installed. Measure the height and width of a step:
Height: _________________________
Width: _________________________
Are the values the same? The shape of the steps determines the type of stairs:
A horizontal rectangle means a wide but low step.
A vertical rectangle means a high but narrow step.
A square means a symmetrical step.
There, you are now an inspector-trainee. It's your your job to measure,
assess, and calculate... making sure everything is in order!
