The Math

A question on an exam may be: How many acres is SW¼, NE¼, SE¼, NW¼ of a certain section? We know that a sections is 640 acres. There are 2 ways to get the answer. The first way: 640 ÷ 4 = 160; 160 ÷ 4 = 40; 40 ÷ 4 = 10; 10 ÷ 4 = 2.5 or 640 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 = 2.5 acresThe second way is Multiply the denominators of each fraction together and then divide 640 by the result: 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 = 256640 ÷ 256 = 2.5 acresOn the exam, you may also be required to find the total acreage of a parcel with a legal description that contains the word "AND" within the description.EXAMPLE: The SE¼ of the NW¼ and NE¼ of the SW¼ of a certain section contain how many acres?If the description has the word "AND", you must calculate the two sides separately and add them together.Example: "The N 1/2 of the NW 1/4 AND the SW 1/4 of the NW 1/4."Part 1: 640 / 2 / 4 = 80 acres.Part 2: 640 / 4 / 4 = 40 acres.Total: 80 + 40 =120 Acres.