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The surface areas of two similar solids are 16m2 and 100 m2. The volume of the larger one is 750m3. What is the volume of the smaller one?

User Diavol
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1 Answer

12 votes
12 votes

Answer:

48 m^3

Explanation:

If the scale factor of linear dimensions between two solids is k, then the scale factor for areas is k^2, and the scale factor of volumes is k^3.

Let's call the solid with 16 m^2 of area solid A, and the other one solid B.

The scale factor of areas from, A to B is (100 m^2)/(16 m^2) = 25/4

In other words, multiply the area of the solid A by 25/4 to get the area of solid B.

Let's check: 16 m^2 * 25/4 = 16 * 25/4 m^2 = 4 * 25 m^2 = 100 m^2

We do get 100 m^2 for solid B, so the area scale factor of 25/4 is correct.

The area scale factor is k^2, so we have:

k^2 = 25/4

We solve for k:

k = 5/2

Now we cube both sides to get k^3, the scale factor of volumes.

k^3 = 5^3/2^3

k^3 = 125/8

Let V = volume of smaller solid, solid A.

V * 125/8 = 750 m^3

V = 750 * 8/125 m^3

V = 48 m^3

User Iqon
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