SqFt to Lin Ft Conversion

[chuckbell8]

Help - Can a 3 dimensional part be expressed in Linear Feet?

I am trying to find 3 ways to determine or equalize surface area. I have a 1ft wide x 12ft long x 1inch deep piece of metal rail. I have determined the area to be 3768 Sq Inch. correct? if so it is equivalent to 26.16 Sq Ft. correct? I cannot figure out the corresponding measurement in linear Ft. I came up with 12.56 Lin Ft, but not sure how or if it is correct.

In considering linear feet - I would expect the piece to simply be 12 lin Ft, however I have to take into consideration the depth of the piece. ie - the surface area has to go up as the depth of the part goes up - correct?

Thanks -

[Robert Fogt]

Linear feet by definition does not take into account the width or height. Just the length.

If your rail is 12 feet long then it is 12 linear feet.

Nothing else would be taken into account.

If you are trying to make sure you have enough rail to go from point A to point B, then you would need AB linear feet. You would not care if the rail was 2 feet wide or 6 inches thick, you just need a certain length.

[chuckbell8]

Thank you for clarifying. Can you help me further my understanding?

If I take into account the Linear dimension, say 12 lin. feet....how would I take into account the dimension of width and depth? Does this take me into surface area or is there another way to measure a 3 dimensional length?

Next - what if the part had a length, width, depth AND an interior surface - like a "U" shaped channel. Now I suppose we enter into surface area AND volume?

any help understanding is appreciated.....I was a philosophy major!

Thanks again!

[Robert Fogt]

Maybe it is not linear distance you are looking to measure. Like you are saying linear feet but you mean something else.

Can you provide more information as to exactly what you are trying to measure?

[searunner52]

It sounds like you are looking for the cubic volume of the material in question

a board 1' (12") x12'(144") x1" would come out to 12x144= 1,728 cubic inches or 1 cubic foot.

I don't know if this helps but it is the actual amount of space your object takes up in all 3 dimensions combined.

[chuckbell8]

Yes - that is helping me get at it. I am looking to "coat" pieces of metal railing and other parts. some of these will be rather simple and standard - however others will encompass much greater surface area due to extended dimensions in L, W or Depth/Height.
my real objective is to determine the volume and thus determine the amount and cost of materials to be used. Thanks for any clarification....

[searunner52]

In that case I revise my previous comment. If you are looking to find the area that you need to cover with paint or some other material and are trying to figure the amount needed the math is even simpler. Look at each side as a flat plane and multiply length times width for each one then add those figures together.

For example if you have that same peice of wood as before measuring
1"x 1' (12")x 12' (144") you would look at it as a figure with six(6) sides and multiply out the following:

Side 1) 12"x144"= 1728 square inches
Side 2) 1"x144" = 144 square inches
Side 3) 12"x144"= 1728 square inches
Side 4) 1"x144" = 144 square inches
Side 5) 1"x 12" = 12" square inches
Side 6) 1"x 12" = 12" square inches

The sum total of all six sides equals 3,728 square inches divided by 144 (the number of square inches in 1 square foot for an end result of 26.16 square feet!

ps I was a philosophy major as well - then became a Librarian:D

[searunner52]

PS - You were on the right track in the very beginning and your math was accurate. When you are figuring the total area of a three dimensional object it is still a simple lxw calculation for each side then add the individual sides together!

[Unregistered]

lin ft into sq ft 8339 linear ft to