Ernesto built a wooden car for a soap box derby. He is painting the top of the car blue and the sides black. He already has enough black paint, but needs to buy blue paint. He needs to know the approximate area of the top of the car to determine the size of the container of blue paint he should buy. He measured the length to be [math]9[/math] feet [math]11 \frac{1}{4}[/math] inches, and the width to be [math]\frac{1}{2}[/math] inch less than [math]3[/math] feet. What is the surface area of the top of the car? What is the most accurate area Ernesto can use to buy his paint?
[list=1] [*]Read and reread the statement carefully. [*]Create expressions and inequalities from the known quantities and variable(s). [*]Solve the problem. [*]Convert to the appropriate units if necessary. [*]Rounding must take place because Ernesto can only report to the hundredths place. [/list]