Finding Side Lengths: Where to Begin?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the side lengths of a cuboid given its volume. Participants explore mathematical relationships involving height, width, and length, and how these relate to the volume of the cuboid.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about how to begin finding the side lengths of the cuboid.
  • Another participant proposes letting $h$ be the height of the cuboid and provides equations relating width $w$, length $\ell$, and volume $V$ in terms of $x$, $y$, and $h$.
  • A subsequent post suggests a potential expression for volume, $V=100(x^2)/2y$, but does not clarify its derivation.
  • Another participant reiterates the volume equation and attempts to derive $h$ from the relationships provided, concluding with $h=\frac{1}{10}$ and suggesting a volume expression of $V=10xy$.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion does not reach a consensus, as participants present different expressions for volume and the relationships between the variables without agreement on the correctness of these expressions.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the relationships between the variables remain unverified, and there are unresolved steps in the mathematical reasoning presented.

Ilikebugs
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I don't know where to start, can I find out side lengths?View attachment 6538
 

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I would let $h$ be the height of the cuboid...and so the volume $V$ is given by:

$$V=100xyh$$

Now, if $w$ and $\ell$ are the width and length respectively, we know:

$$w=\frac{3y}{h}$$

$$\ell=\frac{\dfrac{x}{3}}{h}$$

Multiplying these two equations together, we obtain:

$$\ell w=\frac{xy}{h^2}$$

Now, the volume is also given by:

$$V=\ell wh$$

Can you now get the volume in terms of $x$ and $y$ alone?
 
V=100(x^2)/2y?
 
Ilikebugs said:
V=100(x^2)/2y?

We have:

$$V=100xyh=\ell wh$$

Thus:

$$100xy=\ell w=\frac{xy}{h^2}\implies h^2=\frac{1}{100}\implies h=\frac{1}{10}$$

Hence:

$$V=100xyh=100xy\cdot\frac{1}{10}=10xy$$
 

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