To determine the maximum amount of space that Peter's chest can hold, we need to calculate the volume of the chest. The volume of a rectangular prism (which the chest is) can be found using the formula:
[tex]\[ \text{Volume} = \text{length} \times \text{width} \times \text{height} \][/tex]
Given the dimensions of the chest:
- The length is 2 feet.
- The width is [tex]\( 1 \frac{1}{2} \)[/tex] feet, which can be written as 1.5 feet.
- The height is 1 foot.
Plugging these values into the volume formula, we get:
[tex]\[ \text{Volume} = 2 \, \text{feet} \times 1.5 \, \text{feet} \times 1 \, \text{foot} \][/tex]
Now, perform the multiplication step-by-step:
1. First, multiply the length and width: [tex]\( 2 \times 1.5 = 3.0 \)[/tex]
2. Then, multiply the result by the height: [tex]\( 3.0 \times 1 = 3.0 \)[/tex]
Thus, the volume of the chest is 3.0 cubic feet.
So, the maximum amount of space that the chest can hold is [tex]\( \boxed{3.0} \)[/tex] cubic feet.
