How much soil will you have to excavate for a ditch that is 5' wide, 3' deep, and 3,600' long?

How much soil will you have to excavate for a ditch that is 5' wide, 3' deep, and 3,600' long?

• A. 1,800 cu yd
• B. 2,000 cu yd
• C. 2,200 cu yd
• D. 2,400 cu yd

Answer: (B)

Calculating the volume of a rectangular ditch starts with cross-sectional area, then multiplies by the length. The cross-section area is width times depth: 5 ft × 3 ft = 15 ft². Multiply by the length of 3,600 ft to get 54,000 cubic feet. Convert to cubic yards by dividing by 27 (since 1 yd³ = 27 ft³): 54,000 ÷ 27 = 2,000 cubic yards. So the ditch requires excavating 2,000 cubic yards of soil.

Calculating the volume of a rectangular ditch starts with cross-sectional area, then multiplies by the length. The cross-section area is width times depth: 5 ft × 3 ft = 15 ft². Multiply by the length of 3,600 ft to get 54,000 cubic feet. Convert to cubic yards by dividing by 27 (since 1 yd³ = 27 ft³): 54,000 ÷ 27 = 2,000 cubic yards. So the ditch requires excavating 2,000 cubic yards of soil.