Answer:
5.5 in^2
Explanation:
The volume of any sort of prism is given by the formula ...
V = Bh
where B is the area of the base ahd h is the height. Fill in the given information and solve for the unknown variable:
16.5 in^3 = B·3 in
(16.5 in^3)/(3 in) = B = 5.5 in^2 . . . . . . divide by the coefficient of B
The area of the base is 5.5 square inches.
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Comment on the working
I like to keep the units with the numbers to make sure I'm doing the math correctly. If the untis come out wrong, then I've set up the problem wrong. They multiply and divide the same way any variable does:
in^3 / in = in^2
The volume will be measured in cubic inches; the area will be measured in square inches.