The bottoms of four boxes are shown above. The boxes all have the same volume.
If postal regulations state that the sides of a box must meet a minimum height, which box is most likely to be too short to go through the mail?
Answer(s): D
Explanation:
The box with the largest area on the bottom will have the shortest sides.
If length × width × height = volume, and all the boxes have equal volume, then the sides must be shortest on the box with the largest area on the bottom.
Calculate the area of each box bottom:
NO. 1 = 20 square inches;
NO. 2 = 35 square inches; NO. 3 = 48 square inches; and NO. 4 = 27 square inches.
NO. 3, which has the largest area, will have the shortest sides.