Calculate Cuboid Length: Surface Area 406 cm² with 7 cm Square Face

Surface Area Formula with Square Face Constraints

Given the cuboid of the figure:

Given that the marked face is a square whose sides are 7 cm

Find the length of the cuboid, given that its surface area is 406 cm².

777777777777

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Find the length of the box
00:04 Use the formula to calculate the surface area of a box
00:08 Substitute appropriate values and solve to find height L
00:27 Divide by 2
00:33 Isolate height L
00:53 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Given the cuboid of the figure:

Given that the marked face is a square whose sides are 7 cm

Find the length of the cuboid, given that its surface area is 406 cm².

777777777777

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Identify the given information
  • Step 2: Apply the appropriate formula
  • Step 3: Perform the necessary calculations

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: The problem gives us a square face of the cuboid with side length 7 cm, meaning two dimensions are 7 cm 7 \text{ cm} each. The total surface area of the cuboid is 406 cm².

Step 2: We'll use the formula for the surface area of a cuboid:
Surface area=2(lw+lh+wh) \text{Surface area} = 2(lw + lh + wh)

Let the dimensions be l l (length), w=7cm w = 7 \, \text{cm} (width), and h=7cm h = 7 \, \text{cm} (height).

The formula becomes:
2(l×7+l×7+7×7)=406 2(l \times 7 + l \times 7 + 7 \times 7) = 406

Step 3: Simplify and solve for l l .
Plug in the known values:
2(7l+7l+49)=406 2(7l + 7l + 49) = 406

Simplify:
2(14l+49)=406 2(14l + 49) = 406

Divide by 2:
14l+49=203 14l + 49 = 203

Subtract 49 from both sides:
14l=154 14l = 154

Divide by 14:
l=15414 l = \frac{154}{14}

So,
l=11cm l = 11 \, \text{cm}

Therefore, the length of the cuboid is 11 cm.

3

Final Answer

11 cm

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Formula: Surface Area = 2(lw + lh + wh) for cuboids
  • Technique: Substitute w = h = 7: 2(7l + 7l + 49) = 406
  • Check: Verify: 2(77 + 77 + 49) = 2(203) = 406 cm² ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Using volume formula instead of surface area
    Don't calculate 7 × 7 × l = 406 cm³! Volume measures space inside, but surface area measures all outer faces. Always use SA = 2(lw + lh + wh) for surface area problems.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

A cuboid is shown below:

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What is the surface area of the cuboid?

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do we multiply by 2 in the surface area formula?

+

A cuboid has 6 faces that come in 3 pairs of identical rectangles. The formula 2(lw+lh+wh) 2(lw + lh + wh) accounts for both faces in each pair!

What does it mean that one face is a square?

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When a face is square, two dimensions are equal. Here, width = height = 7 cm, so we only need to find the length. This simplifies our surface area equation significantly.

How do I set up the equation correctly?

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Start with SA=2(lw+lh+wh) SA = 2(lw + lh + wh) , then substitute the known values: w = 7, h = 7, SA = 406. This gives you 406=2(7l+7l+49) 406 = 2(7l + 7l + 49) .

Why do I get 14l in the middle step?

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Because 7l+7l=14l 7l + 7l = 14l ! When you have like terms (same variable with same power), you add their coefficients: 7 + 7 = 14.

Can I check my answer a different way?

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Yes! Calculate all 6 face areas individually: two faces of 7×7=49 7 \times 7 = 49 cm² each, and four faces of 11×7=77 11 \times 7 = 77 cm² each. Total: 2(49)+4(77)=406 2(49) + 4(77) = 406 cm².

What if I made an arithmetic error?

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Double-check each step! Common errors: forgetting to multiply by 2, adding instead of multiplying dimensions, or making calculation mistakes with 154 ÷ 14 = 11.

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