\begin{tabular}{l|r|}\( \begin{array}{l}\text { A science fair poster is a rectangle } 4 \mathrm{ft} \text { long and } 3 \mathrm{ft} \\ \text { wide. Some of the entry rules for the fair refer to the } \\ \text { area of the poster in square inches. Use the facts to find } \\ \text { its area in square inches. }\end{array} \begin{array}{r}1 \text { foot }(\mathrm{ft})=12 \text { inches (in) } \\ 1 \text { yard }(\mathrm{yd})=3 \text { feet }(\mathrm{ft}) \\ 1 \text { yard }(\mathrm{yd})=36 \text { inches (in) } \\ \hline\end{array} \)\end{tabular}

To find the area of the science fair poster in square inches, we will follow these steps: 1. **Calculate the area in square feet**: The area \( A \) of a rectangle is given by the formula: \[ A = \text{length} \times \text{width} \] Here, the length is \( 4 \) ft and the width is \( 3 \) ft. 2. **Convert the area from square feet to square inches**: Since \( 1 \) ft equals \( 12 \) inches, we will convert the area from square feet to square inches using the conversion factor. Let's perform the calculations step by step. ### Step 1: Calculate the area in square feet \[ A = 4 \, \text{ft} \times 3 \, \text{ft} = 12 \, \text{ft}^2 \] ### Step 2: Convert square feet to square inches To convert square feet to square inches, we use the fact that: \[ 1 \, \text{ft}^2 = (12 \, \text{in}) \times (12 \, \text{in}) = 144 \, \text{in}^2 \] Now, we can convert \( 12 \, \text{ft}^2 \) to square inches: \[ A = 12 \, \text{ft}^2 \times 144 \, \text{in}^2/\text{ft}^2 \] Now, let's calculate this conversion. \[ A = 12 \times 144 \] Calculating \( 12 \times 144 \): \[ A = 1728 \, \text{in}^2 \] Thus, the area of the science fair poster is \( 1728 \, \text{in}^2 \).