Math Problem Statement

You have an unlimited supply of rectangular blocks of dimensions 11x11x18 these can be made into a tower by stacking them one on one what is the least total amount of blocks needed to make two towers so that the first is 2cm taller than the second?

Solution

To solve this problem, let's consider the dimensions of the blocks and the requirement that one tower must be 2 cm taller than the other.

Step 1: Understanding the Dimensions

Each block has dimensions 11×11×1811 \times 11 \times 18. Since the blocks are stacked to form towers, the height of each block is 18 cm.

Step 2: Define the Heights of the Towers

Let n1n_1 be the number of blocks in the first tower, and n2n_2 be the number of blocks in the second tower. The height of the first tower is therefore 18×n118 \times n_1 cm, and the height of the second tower is 18×n218 \times n_2 cm.

Step 3: Express the Problem Mathematically

We need the first tower to be 2 cm taller than the second tower, so: 18×n1=18×n2+218 \times n_1 = 18 \times n_2 + 2

Step 4: Solve for n1n_1 and n2n_2

To make the first tower 2 cm taller, the equation becomes: 18n118n2=218n_1 - 18n_2 = 2 18(n1n2)=218(n_1 - n_2) = 2 n1n2=218=19n_1 - n_2 = \frac{2}{18} = \frac{1}{9} However, n1n_1 and n2n_2 must be integers, and 19\frac{1}{9} is not an integer, meaning that with whole blocks, we cannot achieve a 2 cm difference between the towers.

Step 5: Conclusion

Since it's impossible to achieve a 2 cm height difference using whole blocks of 18 cm height, the problem as stated has no solution with these block dimensions. You would need to alter the block dimensions or the required height difference to make the problem feasible.

Would you like to explore alternative problems or solutions based on this?

Here are some related questions:

  1. What would be the minimum height difference achievable with these blocks?
  2. If the height difference needed to be 18 cm instead of 2 cm, how many blocks would be required?
  3. What if you were allowed to cut a block to achieve the 2 cm difference?
  4. How would the problem change if the block height were a divisor of 2 cm?
  5. What other combinations of block dimensions could result in a 2 cm difference?

Tip: When dealing with problems involving integer constraints, consider the divisibility of the numbers involved to check if a solution is possible.