8.60555127546 x 1.39444872454
-- or --
Solve the equation I gave you to as many significant digits as you want.
But be advised of this very simple fact: There is no measurement you can do with a ruler that has more than three significant digits, no matter how exact it looks. That includes something that appears to be "exactly" 3 inches by "exactly" 4 inches.
The truth is most actual measurements are irrationals, and the number of measurements that are integral (or even rational) is a set with probability measure ZERO.
This issue alone could generate a spin-off thread.
I hope it won't, but it could.
That still doesn’t multiply to 12. They didn’t say they measured it. They simply said it was 12 square units. I’m not sure how we can get ripped for assuming a rectangle while calc majors get away with assuming a GIVEN area of 12 is something other than 12.