SOLID GEOMETRY

SOLIDS FOR WHICH VOLUME = BASE AREA x HEIGHT (V = B h)

Cube (Regular Hexahedron)
- A cube is a polyhedron (solid bounded by planes) whose six faces are all squares.

d2 Volume, V = Bh = a3
d1 a Lateral area, AL = 4 a2
a Total surface area, As = 6 a2
a
Face diagonal, d1 = a 2
Space diagonal, d2 = a 3

Properties:
a. The three dimensions of a cube are equal to each other. Therefore, all the edges are equal.
b. All the faces of a cube are congruent squares.
EXAMPLES
1. What is the weight of a block of ice 1.2 m x 1.2 m x 1.2 m, if ice weighs 90 percent as much as
water, and water weighs 9.81 kN/m3?
W = γV ; γ = 0.90 (9.81) = 8.829 kN/m3
V = (1.2)3 = 1.728 m3
W = 8.829 (1.728) = 15.257 kN
2. A rectangular bin 4 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet high is solidly packed with bricks whose
dimensions are 8 inches x 4 inches x 2 inches. Find the number of bricks in the bin.
Total volume of bin in cubic inches:
Vbin = (4 x 12)(3 x 12)(2 x 12) = 41472 in3
Vbin 41472 in3
Number of bricks = = = 648 bricks
Vbick 8 in (4 in)(2 in)
3. Find the volume and the total area of the largest cube of wood that can be cut from a log of
circular cross section whose radius is 0.35 m.

0.35
a

V = a3 ; a2 + a2 = [2(0.35)]2
2 a2 = 0.49
a = 0.495 m
V = (0.495)3 = 0.1213 m3
As = 6 a2
As = 6 (0.495)2 = 1.470 m2
 4. The space diagonal of a cube is 4 3 m. Find its volume
a 3 = 4 3
a = 4
V = a3 = 43 = 64 m3
5. A reservoir is shaped like a square prism. If the area of its base is 225 cm2, how many liters
of water will it hold?
V = a3 ; Note: A square prism is a cube
B = a2
225 = a2
a = 15 cm2
V = (15)3 = 3375 cm3 (1 li./1000 cm3)
V = 3.375 liters

Rectangular Parallelepiped
- A rectangular parallelepiped is a polyhedron whose six faces are all rectangles.

Volume, V = B h = abc
d2 c
d1 Lateral area, AL = 2 (ac + bc)
b Total surface area, AS = 2 (ab + bc + ac)
a Face diagonal, d1 = a2 + c2
Space diagonal, d2 = a2+ b2 + c2

Properties:
a. The parallel edges of a rectangular parallelepiped are equal.
b. The opposite lateral faces of a rectangular parallelepiped are equal and parallel.
c. Any two opposite faces of a rectangular parallelepiped may be taken as the base.
d. Every section of a rectangular parallelepiped made by a plane parallel to the base is equal in
area to that of the base.

EXAMPLES

1. Building bricks are closely stacked in a pile 2.20 m high, 10 m long and 4.80 m wide. If the bricks
are 20 cm x 30 cm x 40 cm, how many bricks are in the pile?
Volume of pile 2.20 m (10 m)(4.80 m)
No. of bricks = =
Volume of brick 0.20 m (0.30 m)(0.40 m)
No. of bricks = 4400 pcs

2. A storage room has a rectangular floor 22 m by 12 m. The walls are vertical and 6 m high. If
there are no windows, find the total area of the ceiling, walls, and floor. Also find the storage
space of the room.
 6m 12 m

22 m

Total surface area:

AS = 2 (a b + a c + b c)
= 2 [(22 (12) + 22 (6) + 12 (6)]
AS = 936 m2
Total storage space:
V = abc
= (22)(12)(6)
V = 1584 m3
3. A solid concrete porch consists of 3 steps and a landing. The steps have a tread of 0.25 m, a
rise of 0.20 m, and a length of 2 m; the landing is 1.75 m by 2 m. How much material was used
in its construction
2m 1.75 m 0.25 0.25 0.25
1.75 m
0.20 m
0.20 m
0.20 m
0.20 m

Material used:
V = Bh ; h = 2m
B = 0.2 (1.75) + 0.2 (2) + 0.2 (2.25) + 0.2
(2.5)
B = 1.70 m2
V = 1.70 m (2 m) = 3.40 m
2 3

4. Two rectangular water tanks with tops on the same level are connected by a pipe through their
bottoms. The base of one is 0.5 ft. higher than that of the other. Their dimensions are 4 by 5 by
2.5 ft. and 4 by 7 by 3 ft., respectively. How deep is the water in the larger tank when the water
they contain equals half their combined capacity, if the 2.5 ft. and 3 ft. edges are vertical?

4 ft x 5 ft 4 ft x 7 ft

2.5 ft
y A
B h
0.5 ft

Volume of water in the tanks:

V = 4 (5)(y) + 4 (7)(h) ; V = ½ (VA + VB) = ½ [4 (5)(2.5) + 4 (7)(3)]
= 67 ft3
 y = h – 0.5
67 = 4 (5)(h – 0.5) + 28 h
67 = 20 h – 10 + 28 h
77 = 48 h
h = 1.60 ft

5. Given a rectangular parallelepiped with base a = 40 cm by b = 20 cm and altitude c = 30 cm.

a. Find the area of a section which contains two diagonally opposite edges of the
parallelepiped.
b. Find the length of the diagonal of the parallelepiped.

B
A
d
c = 30 cm
D
C b = 20
a = 40 cm

Area of section
A = (AB)(AC) ; AC = 30 cm
AB = a2 + b2 = 402 + 202
AB = 44.721 cm
A = (44.721)(30) = 1341.63 cm2
Length of diagonal
d = (AB)2 + (BD)2 = 44.7212 + 302
d = 53.85 cm

Reproduce this note so that you will have a copy on hand when we are going to discuss it on Sept
16 (Wednesday)