Math Problem Statement

You are going on a cruise, and your baggage is limited. Following a friend’s advice, you decide to buy packing cubes to put in your suitcase. The larger packing cubes are 6 inches thick, 6 inches wide, and 12 inches long, while the smaller ones are 8 inches thick by 4 inches wide and 4 inches tall. Your suitcase has inside dimensions of 29 inches by 18 inches by 6 inches. If you pack 5 of the large packing cubes, how many small packing cubes can you fit? (remember, if you have a decimal you MUST round down because you can’t fit the last one in there).

Solution

To solve this problem, we need to follow a step-by-step approach, calculating the volume of both the suitcase and the packing cubes, and then determining how many small cubes can fit in the remaining space.

Step 1: Calculate the volume of the suitcase

The suitcase has inside dimensions of 29 inches by 18 inches by 6 inches. The volume of the suitcase is: Volume of suitcase=29×18×6=3132 cubic inches.\text{Volume of suitcase} = 29 \times 18 \times 6 = 3132 \text{ cubic inches}.

Step 2: Calculate the volume of one large packing cube

Each large packing cube has dimensions 6 inches thick, 6 inches wide, and 12 inches long. The volume of one large packing cube is: Volume of one large cube=6×6×12=432 cubic inches.\text{Volume of one large cube} = 6 \times 6 \times 12 = 432 \text{ cubic inches}.

Step 3: Calculate the volume of 5 large packing cubes

If you pack 5 large packing cubes, the total volume they occupy is: Volume of 5 large cubes=5×432=2160 cubic inches.\text{Volume of 5 large cubes} = 5 \times 432 = 2160 \text{ cubic inches}.

Step 4: Calculate the remaining volume in the suitcase

The remaining volume in the suitcase after packing the 5 large cubes is: Remaining volume=31322160=972 cubic inches.\text{Remaining volume} = 3132 - 2160 = 972 \text{ cubic inches}.

Step 5: Calculate the volume of one small packing cube

Each small packing cube has dimensions 8 inches thick, 4 inches wide, and 4 inches tall. The volume of one small packing cube is: Volume of one small cube=8×4×4=128 cubic inches.\text{Volume of one small cube} = 8 \times 4 \times 4 = 128 \text{ cubic inches}.

Step 6: Determine how many small cubes can fit in the remaining space

To find how many small cubes can fit in the remaining volume, we divide the remaining volume by the volume of one small cube: Number of small cubes=9721287.59.\text{Number of small cubes} = \frac{972}{128} \approx 7.59. Since we cannot fit a fraction of a cube, we round down to the nearest whole number, which is 7.

Conclusion:

You can fit 7 small packing cubes in the remaining space of your suitcase.


Do you need any further details or explanations on this problem?

Here are 5 related questions to explore:

  1. How much total volume do the large and small packing cubes occupy together?
  2. What if the suitcase had dimensions 30 x 19 x 6 inches—how would this change the outcome?
  3. How many large cubes could fit in the suitcase without any small cubes?
  4. What would happen if the suitcase height were reduced by 1 inch?
  5. How much unused space remains in the suitcase after packing both the large and small cubes?

Tip: When dealing with packing problems, always focus on the shape of the objects and see if rearranging can maximize space!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Geometry
Volume Calculation
Division

Formulas

Volume of a rectangular prism = length × width × height
Remaining volume = Total suitcase volume - Volume of packed large cubes
Number of small cubes = Remaining volume / Volume of one small cube

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8