James was hired to install a hexagonal window in a home. The family requested that the side lengths of the hexagon be 14 inches. James must contact a glass company to order the window. He needs to calculate the area of the window in order to determine the cost of the glass. Which is the best estimate for the area of the window?

A. 254.6 in[tex]\(^2\)[/tex]
B. 294 in[tex]\(^2\)[/tex]
C. 509.2 in[tex]\(^2\)[/tex]
D. 588 in[tex]\(^2\)[/tex]



Answer :

To find the area of the hexagonal window, we need to calculate the area of a regular hexagon given the side length, which is 14 inches.

The formula for the area of a regular hexagon with side length [tex]\( a \)[/tex] is:
[tex]\[ \text{Area} = \frac{3 \sqrt{3}}{2} a^2 \][/tex]

Let's go through the steps to calculate it:

1. Identify the side length: [tex]\( a = 14 \)[/tex] inches.

2. Substitute the side length into the area formula:
[tex]\[ \text{Area} = \frac{3 \sqrt{3}}{2} \times (14)^2 \][/tex]

3. Calculate [tex]\( (14)^2 \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ (14)^2 = 196 \][/tex]

4. Multiply by [tex]\(\frac{3 \sqrt{3}}{2}\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ \text{Area} = \frac{3 \sqrt{3}}{2} \times 196 \][/tex]

5. Compute the numerical result:
[tex]\[ \text{Area} \approx 509.2 \text{ in}^2 \][/tex]

Thus, the best estimate for the area of the window, considering the given options, is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{509.2 \text{ in}^2} \][/tex]