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The problem asks to find how many cubic yards of topsoil are required for a garden that is 21 feet by 15 feet, with a 5-inch thick layer of topsoil, and the store sells in increments of 1/4 cubic yard.

Let's break it down:

1. **Convert dimensions to yards**: 
   - The garden area is 21 ft × 15 ft.
   - Convert feet to yards: 1 yard = 3 feet, so:
     \[
     21 \, \text{ft} = 21/3 = 7 \, \text{yards}, \quad 15 \, \text{ft} = 15/3 = 5 \, \text{yards}
     \]

2. **Convert the thickness to yards**:
   - 5 inches needs to be converted into yards. There are 36 inches in a yard, so:
     \[
     5 \, \text{inches} = \frac{5}{36} \, \text{yards}
     \]

3. **Calculate the volume in cubic yards**:
   - The volume is given by multiplying the area by the thickness:
     \[
     \text{Volume} = 7 \, \text{yards} \times 5 \, \text{yards} \times \frac{5}{36} \, \text{yards}
     \]
     \[
     \text{Volume} = 35 \times \frac{5}{36} = \frac{175}{36} \approx 4.86 \, \text{cubic yards}
     \]

4. **Round up to the nearest 1/4 cubic yard**:
   - The store sells in increments of 1/4 cubic yard, so round 4.86 cubic yards up to the next 1/4 increment, which is **5 cubic yards**.

### Answer: You will need to order 5 cubic yards of topsoil.

Would you like a detailed explanation on any part of this? Here are five related questions to further explore:

1. How do you convert between different units of length (e.g., feet to inches, feet to yards)?
2. How do you calculate the volume for more complex shapes like trapezoidal gardens?
3. Why is it necessary to round up when purchasing material in fixed increments?
4. What would the answer be if the topsoil thickness were 6 inches instead of 5?
5. How much would you need if your garden had different dimensions, say 25 ft by 18 ft?

**Tip**: Always double-check unit conversions when dealing with both linear and volumetric measurements!

You want to put a 5-inch thick layer of topsoil for a new 21 ft by 15 ft garden. The dirt store sells by the cubic yards. How many cubic yards will you need to order? The store only sells in increments of 1/4 cubic yards.

Learn how to calculate how many cubic yards of topsoil are needed for a garden with dimensions 21 ft by 15 ft and a 5-inch thick layer of topsoil. Includes step-by-step unit conversion and volume calculation. Suitable for students in Grades 7-10.

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