If 8 ft. boards of drywall cost $20 and 12 ft. boards cost $29, what is the minimum price for covering a 16 x 24 room with 12 ft. ceilings (entire room)? 

To cover a 16 x 24 room with 12 ft. ceilings, you first need to calculate the total square footage of the walls. The room has four walls, so the formula is: - Area = 2 * (length + width) * height - Area = 2 * (16 + 24) * 12 = 2 * 40 * 12 = 960 square feet. Now, let's determine how many boards you'll need to cover 960 square feet using the 12 ft. drywall boards. Each 12 ft. board is 4 ft. wide, so it covers: - Coverage per board = 12 ft. * 4 ft. = 48 square feet. To find the number of boards needed: - Number of boards = 960 sq. ft. / 48 sq. ft. = 20 boards. With each board costing $29, the total cost is: - Total cost = 20 boards * $29 = $580. So, the minimum price for covering the room is $580.