After measuring the length and width of a loose paint spot, what is the final step to determine the area?

To determine the area of a rectangle, which is the shape typically involved when measuring the dimensions of a loose paint spot, the correct method is to multiply the length by the width. This is based on the mathematical formula for area, which states that the area of a rectangle (A) is calculated as A = length × width.

When measuring a loose paint spot, ensuring an accurate calculation of its area is crucial for assessing the potential lead hazard, as it helps in quantifying the amount of surface that may need remediation or monitoring. By multiplying these two measurements, you obtain a measurement in square units (such as square feet or square inches), which gives you a complete representation of the size of the paint spot.

The other options suggest mathematical operations that don't yield the necessary calculation for area, which is specific to determining the surface size of an object. Therefore, multiplying length by width effectively meets the requirement of calculating the area accurately in this context.