Math Problem Statement

An ocean engineer is designing an underwater robot. The robot will have two pieces like the one shown. What is the volume of the robot?

Solution

The diagram in the problem shows a composite shape that consists of two rectangular prisms forming an L-shape. To calculate the volume of the robot, we need to calculate the volume of each rectangular section separately and then add them together.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Identify the two rectangular prisms.

  1. Base rectangular prism:

    • Dimensions: 10cm×6cm×2cm10 \, \text{cm} \times 6 \, \text{cm} \times 2 \, \text{cm}
    • Volume: 10×6×2=120cm310 \times 6 \times 2 = 120 \, \text{cm}^3
  2. Vertical rectangular prism (attached on top of the base):

    • Dimensions: 4cm×2cm×5cm4 \, \text{cm} \times 2 \, \text{cm} \times 5 \, \text{cm}
    • Volume: 4×2×5=40cm34 \times 2 \times 5 = 40 \, \text{cm}^3

Step 2: Add the volumes of the two sections.

Total Volume=120cm3+40cm3=160cm3\text{Total Volume} = 120 \, \text{cm}^3 + 40 \, \text{cm}^3 = 160 \, \text{cm}^3

Step 3: Consider that there are two pieces.

Since the robot will have two pieces like the one shown, the total volume will be: Total Volume for the robot=160cm3×2=320cm3\text{Total Volume for the robot} = 160 \, \text{cm}^3 \times 2 = 320 \, \text{cm}^3

Thus, the volume of the robot is 320 cm³.


Would you like further details or have any other questions?

Here are 5 related questions to expand on this:

  1. How would the volume change if the height of the vertical section increased?
  2. What is the surface area of the composite shape?
  3. How do we calculate the volume of irregular shapes?
  4. How would the total volume change if three pieces were used instead of two?
  5. Can we break down other 3D composite shapes into simpler shapes to calculate volume?

Tip: When calculating the volume of a composite shape, it's useful to divide the shape into simpler, familiar shapes (like cubes or prisms) for easier computation.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Geometry
Volume
Composite Shapes

Formulas

Volume of a rectangular prism = length × width × height

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8