High School Math : Geometry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for High School Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1881 : High School Math

What is the length of an edge of a cube that has a surface area of 54?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 6\)

\(\displaystyle 9\)

\(\displaystyle 3\)

\(\displaystyle 12\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 3\)

Explanation:

The surface area of a cube can be determined using the following equation:

\(\displaystyle SA=6\times l^2\)

\(\displaystyle 54=6l^2\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{54}{6}=\frac{6l^2}{6}\)

\(\displaystyle 9=l^2\)

\(\displaystyle \sqrt9=\sqrt{l^2}\)

\(\displaystyle 3=l\)

Example Question #3 : Cubes

Find the length of the diagonal connecting opposite corners of a cube with sides of length \(\displaystyle 2\sqrt{2}\).

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 5\) units

\(\displaystyle 2\sqrt6\) units

\(\displaystyle 4\) units

\(\displaystyle 6\sqrt{2}\) units

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 2\sqrt6\) units

Explanation:

Find the diagonal of one face of the cube using the Pythagorean Theorem applied to a triangle formed by two sides of that face (\(\displaystyle a\) and \(\displaystyle b\)) and the diagonal itself (\(\displaystyle c\)):

\(\displaystyle a^2 + b^2 = c^2\)

\(\displaystyle (2\sqrt{2})^2 + (2\sqrt{2})^2 = c^2\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow 8 + 8 = c^2\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow 16 = c^2\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow c = 4\)

This diagonal is now the base of a new right triangle (call this \(\displaystyle b\)). The height of that triangle is an edge of the cube that runs perpendicular to this diagonal (call this \(\displaystyle a\)). The third side of the triangle formed by \(\displaystyle a\) and \(\displaystyle b\) is a line from one corner of the cube to the other, i.e., the cube's diagonal (call this \(\displaystyle c\)). Use the Pythagorean Theorem again with the triangle formed by \(\displaystyle a\)\(\displaystyle b\), and \(\displaystyle c\) to find the length of this diagonal.

\(\displaystyle a^2 + b^2 = c^2\)

\(\displaystyle (2\sqrt{2})^2 + (4)^2 = c^2\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow 8 + 16 = c^2\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow 24 = c^2\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow \sqrt{24} = c\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow c= 2\sqrt{6}\)

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Diagonal Of A Cube

Find the length of the diagonal of the following cube:

Length_of_diagonal

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 4\sqrt{3}\ m\)

\(\displaystyle 2\ m\)

 

 

\(\displaystyle 8\ m\)

\(\displaystyle 4\ m\)

\(\displaystyle 4\sqrt{2}\ m\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 4\sqrt{2}\ m\)

Explanation:

To find the length of the diagonal, use the formula for a \(\displaystyle 45-45-90\) triangle:

\(\displaystyle a-a-a\sqrt{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 4\ m-4\ m-4\sqrt{2}\ m\)

The length of the diagonal is \(\displaystyle 4\sqrt{2}\ m\).

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Surface Area Of A Cube

What is the surface area of a cube with a side length of 15?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 1350\)

\(\displaystyle 750\)

\(\displaystyle 1000\)

\(\displaystyle 500\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 1350\)

Explanation:

To find the surface area of a cube we must count the number of surface faces and add the areas of each of them together.

In a cube there are 6 faces, each a square with the same side lengths.

In this example the side lengths is 15 so the area of each square would be \(\displaystyle 15^2=225\)

We then multiply this number by 6, the number of faces of the cube, to get \(\displaystyle 225*6=1350\)

Our answer for the surface area is \(\displaystyle 1350\).

Example Question #1 : Cubes

What is the surface area of a cube with a side length of \(\displaystyle 7\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 224\)

\(\displaystyle 294\)

\(\displaystyle 49\)

\(\displaystyle 194\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 294\)

Explanation:

To find the surface area of a cube, we must count the number of surface faces and add the areas of each together. In a cube there are \(\displaystyle 6\) faces, each a square with the same side lengths. In this example the side length is \(\displaystyle 7\).

The area of a square is given by the equation \(\displaystyle A=s*s=s^2\). Using our side length, we can solve the area of once face of the cube.

\(\displaystyle A=(7)^{2}=49\)

We then multiply this number by \(\displaystyle 6\), the number of faces of the cube to find the total surface area.

\(\displaystyle 49*6=294\)

Our answer for the surface area is \(\displaystyle 294\).

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Surface Area Of A Cube

If the surface area of a cube equals 96, what is the length of one side of the cube?

Possible Answers:

4

6

3

5

Correct answer:

4

Explanation:

The surface area of a cube = 6a2 where a is the length of the side of each edge of the cube. Put another way, since all sides of a cube are equal, a is just the lenght of one side of a cube.

We have 96 = 6a→ a2 = 16, so that's the area of one face of the cube.

Solving we get √16, so a = 4

Example Question #2 : How To Find The Surface Area Of A Cube

What is the surface area of a cube with a side length of \(\displaystyle s=7.2in\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 311in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 373in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 52in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 331in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 86in^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 311in^{2}\)

Explanation:

In order to find the surface area of a cube, use the formula \(\displaystyle SA=6(s^{2})\).

\(\displaystyle SA=6*(7.2in)^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle SA=6*51.84in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle SA=311.04in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow 311in^{2}\)

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Surface Area Of A Cube

What is the surface area, in inches, of a rectangular prism with a length of \(\displaystyle \dpi{100} l=2.2ft\), a width of \(\displaystyle w=18in\), and a height of \(\displaystyle h=14in\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 2193.6in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 1108.8in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 6652.8in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 2652.8in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 2319in^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 2193.6in^{2}\)

Explanation:

In order to find the surface area of a rectangular prism, use the formula \(\displaystyle SA=(2*lw)+(2*wh)+(2*lh)\).

However, all units must be the same. All of the units of this problem are in inches with the exception of \(\displaystyle \dpi{100} l=2.2ft\).

Convert to inches.

\(\displaystyle l=\frac{2.2ft}{1}*\frac{12in}{1ft}\)

\(\displaystyle l=26.4in\)

Now, we can insert the known values into the surface area formula in order to calulate the surface area of the rectangular prism.

\(\displaystyle SA=(2*26.4in*18in)+(2*18in*14in)+(2*26.4in*14in)\)

\(\displaystyle SA=(950.4in^{2})+(504in^{2})+(739.2in^{2})\)

\(\displaystyle SA=2193.6in^{2}\)

If you calculated the surface area to equal \(\displaystyle 6652.8in^{2}\), then you utilized the volume formula of a rectangular prism, which is \(\displaystyle V=l*w*h\); this is incorrect.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Surface Area Of A Cube

Square_with_diagonalWhat is the surface area of a cube with a diagonal of \(\displaystyle \dpi{100} d=4.2cm\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 59.22cm^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 105.84cm^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 42.22cm^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 84.05cm^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 52.92cm^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 52.92cm^{2}\)

Explanation:

A few facts need to be known to solve this problem. Observe that the diagonal of the square face of the cube cuts it into two right isosceles triangles; therefore, the length of a side of the square to its diagonal is the same as an isosceles right triangle's leg to its hypotenuse: \(\displaystyle 1:\sqrt{2}\).

\(\displaystyle \frac{s}{d}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\)

\(\displaystyle \dpi{100} \dpi{100} \frac{s}{4.2cm}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\)

Rearrange an solve for \(\displaystyle s\).

\(\displaystyle \dpi{100} s=\frac{4.2cm}{\sqrt{2}}\)

Now, solve for the area of the cube using the formula \(\displaystyle \dpi{100} \dpi{100} SA=6(s^{2})\).

\(\displaystyle SA=6*(\frac{4.2cm}{\sqrt{2}})^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle SA=\frac{6}{1}*(\frac{4.2cm}{\sqrt{2}}*\frac{4.2cm}{\sqrt{2}})\)

\(\displaystyle \dpi{100} SA=\frac{6}{1}*(\frac{17.64cm^{2}}{2})\)

\(\displaystyle \dpi{100} \dpi{100} SA=3*17.64cm^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle \rightarrow 52.92cm^{2}\)

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Surface Area Of A Cube

This figure is a cube with one face having an area of 16 in2.Cube

What is the surface area of the cube (in2)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 256\)

\(\displaystyle 64\)

\(\displaystyle 96\)

\(\displaystyle 48\)

\(\displaystyle 16\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 96\)

Explanation:

The surface area of a cube is the sum of the area of each face.  Since there are 6 faces on a cube, the surface area of the entire cube is \(\displaystyle 6\cdot16\).

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