What is the height of the scaled-up Pyramid of Egypt?

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The discussion revolves around calculating the height of a scaled-up model of a miniature pyramid that is 3 inches tall. The model is constructed from a material with a density that is one-ninth of the original material. To maintain the same mass for both the miniature and the model, participants explore the relationship between height, density, and volume. The key equation used is that the mass equals density times volume, and since the volumes of geometrically similar objects relate to the cubes of their heights, the heights are inversely proportional to the cube roots of their densities. The final calculation reveals that the height of the scaled-up model is 6.24 inches. This conclusion is reached by applying the formula that incorporates the height of the miniature and the ratio of the densities.
powergirl
My Dad has a miniature Pyramid of Egypt. It is 3 inches in height. Dad was invited to display it at an exhibition. Dad felt it was too small and decided to build a scaled-up model of the Pyramid out of material whose density is (1/ 9) times the density of the material used for the miniature. He did a "back-of-the-envelope" calculation to check whether the model would be big enough.

If the mass (or weight) of the miniature and the scaled-up model are to be the same, how many inches in height will be the scaled-up Pyramid? Give your answer to two places of decimal.
 
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9 inches!

needed more text
 
NO...Not right
 
81"

(Again text limit)
 
How did you guys solve this? This one confused me for some reason. I know that all the dimensions between the two are proportional but I couldn't immediately see how to put that into the equations. A ratio would have worked but I didn't see one that helped solve the problem. I would sit down and think harder about it but I got to go.
 
Yea, it's 27", I have no idea what the heck I was thinking. Was just about to fall asleep and then I realized.
 
No one gave me the right ans:
 
what the hell, this question is making me mad. lol
 
  • #10
try it.....
 
  • #11
6.24" text limit again[/color]

3\cdot\left(\frac{1}{9}\right)^{-1/3}
 
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  • #12
6.24 it is.
 
  • #13
yes 6.24 is correct
soln is as:
Mass = Density x Volume; and
Volume of model / Volume of miniature = (H of model / H of miniature)3.


In the above equation, H is the characteristic dimension (say, height).

If the mass is to be the same, then density is inversely proportional to volume. Also, the volumes are directly proportional to the cubes of the heights for objects that are geometrically similar. Therefore, the heights are seen to be inversely proportional to the cube roots of the densities. Thus,

Height of model = Height of miniature x (Density of miniature / Density of model)1/3 or

Height of model = 3 x [ 91/3 ] = 6.24 inches.
 
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