Calculating Acres in the Arizona Real Estate License Exam

Understanding how to calculate land area is a crucial skill for anyone preparing for the Arizona Real Estate License Exam, especially when it comes to questions involving county roads and setbacks. Let’s break down a key example that might just pop up on your journey to becoming a licensed real estate agent.

Imagine you’re tasked with determining the number of acres found in the first mile of a county road that's 68 feet wide, complete with a 50-foot setback on each side. It's a mouthful, right? But don’t worry, we’ll take this one step at a time.

First off, the total width of the area is essential for any calculations. We’ve got the road width (68 feet) and two setbacks (50 feet each). So, let’s do a little math here:

Total width = road width + setback (left) + setback (right)
Total width = 68 feet + 50 feet + 50 feet = 168 feet.

Now that we’ve got the total width sorted out, we need to think about how long our area is. You guessed it—the first mile stretches out for 5,280 feet.

Here's what we do next. To find the total area in square feet, we need to multiply the total width by the length of the mile. Let's write it all down:

Area = total width x length
Area = 168 feet x 5,280 feet = 885,840 square feet.

At this point, you might be wondering how all those square feet turn into acres. It’s a good question! You see, 1 acre is equal to 43,560 square feet (a number that’s stuck in many real estate folks' minds). To figure out how many acres are in our area, we just divide the total area by the number of square feet in an acre:

Area in acres = total area / 43,560 square feet
Area in acres = 885,840 / 43,560 ≈ 20.36 acres.

And there you have it! The correct answer to our initial question is 20.36 acres. It's a mighty big area, right? Just imagine how that space could be utilized—maybe a park or housing development?

As you prepare for the Arizona Real Estate License Exam, it's important to remember that calculations like these not only test your math skills but also your understanding of how land is measured and how setbacks contribute to property development. Knowing these figures can really help when dealing with land use regulations or advising clients about potential properties.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget that practice makes perfect. Running through as many examples like this can prepare you for any curveballs the exam may throw your way. So grab your calculator and get to work! You can do this!