Surface Area 147 cm²: Find Missing Cuboid Dimensions

Cuboid Surface Area with Insufficient Information

The surface area of the cuboid shown below is 147 cm².

What are the dimensions of the cuboid that are not labelled in the drawing?

171717

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 What are the box dimensions that don't appear in the drawing?
00:03 Let's use the formula for calculating the surface area of a box
00:07 Let's substitute appropriate values according to the given data and try to solve
00:18 We have no way to know the missing dimensions
00:22 Therefore there is no solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

The surface area of the cuboid shown below is 147 cm².

What are the dimensions of the cuboid that are not labelled in the drawing?

171717

2

Step-by-step solution

Given the surface area of a cuboid formula:

S=2(lw+lh+wh) S = 2(lw + lh + wh)

We have one fixed dimension as 17 cm. However, we do not know which two dimensions among length (l l ), width (w w ), or height (h h ) correspond to this value. Our goal is to solve the expression with this unknown configuration as:

2(17w+17h+wh)=147 2(17\cdot w + 17\cdot h + wh) = 147

Simplifying gives:

17w+17h+wh=73.5 17w + 17h + wh = 73.5

Further simplification only provides combinations for dimensions.
However, no logical combination allows us to solve this equation since the equation involves three variables but is provided just a single constraint (surface area).

Therefore, identifying the dimensions from the given information is impossible without additional details or constraints on the remaining dimensions.

Given the specified choices, the correct conclusion for the problem is "Impossible to calculate."

3

Final Answer

Impossible to calculate.

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Formula: Surface area uses S=2(lw+lh+wh) S = 2(lw + lh + wh) for all six faces
  • Analysis: One dimension (17 cm) with surface area 147 cm² gives equation 17w+17h+wh=73.5 17w + 17h + wh = 73.5
  • Check: Count variables versus equations: 2 unknowns but only 1 constraint ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Assuming you can solve with incomplete information
    Don't try to find specific values when you have 2 unknowns (w and h) but only 1 equation = infinite solutions possible! This creates mathematical impossibility for unique answers. Always check that you have enough constraints to solve for all unknowns.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Identify the correct 2D pattern of the given cuboid:

444444999

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why can't I just guess and check different values?

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While guessing might give you some valid combinations, there are infinitely many solutions that work! The problem asks for the dimensions, implying a unique answer, which is impossible here.

What if I assume the cuboid is a perfect cube?

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That would be adding your own constraint that wasn't given in the problem. The question provides only one labeled dimension (17 cm) and doesn't state the other dimensions are equal.

How many constraints do I need to solve for cuboid dimensions?

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For a cuboid with 3 dimensions, you need at least 2 independent equations/constraints to find unique values. Here we only have surface area (1 constraint) for 2 unknowns.

Could there be additional information I'm missing from the diagram?

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Look carefully at the diagram - it only shows one labeled dimension: 17 cm. No other measurements, angles, or relationships are provided that would give us a second constraint.

What does this teach me about problem-solving?

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Always check if you have sufficient information before attempting calculations! In real math problems, sometimes the answer is recognizing when more data is needed.

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