The volume of a pyramid varies jointly with the base area of the pyramid and its height. The volume of one pyramid is 24

cubic inches when its base area is 24
square inches and its height is 3
inches. What is the volume of a pyramid with a base area of 15
square inches and a height of 7
inches?

The volume of the pyramid is blank cubic inches.

1 answer

The volume \( V \) of a pyramid varies jointly with its base area \( B \) and its height \( h \), which can be expressed mathematically as:

\[ V = k \cdot B \cdot h \]

where \( k \) is a constant.

From the information given, we know that when the base area \( B = 24 \) square inches and the height \( h = 3 \) inches, the volume \( V = 24 \) cubic inches.

Let's first find the constant \( k \):

\[ 24 = k \cdot 24 \cdot 3 \]

This simplifies to:

\[ 24 = k \cdot 72 \]

Solving for \( k \):

\[ k = \frac{24}{72} = \frac{1}{3} \]

Now that we have \( k \), we can use this value to find the volume of a pyramid with a base area of \( 15 \) square inches and a height of \( 7 \) inches.

Substitute \( B = 15 \) and \( h = 7 \) into the volume formula:

\[ V = \frac{1}{3} \cdot 15 \cdot 7 \]

Calculating this:

\[ V = \frac{1}{3} \cdot 105 = 35 \]

Therefore, the volume of the pyramid is:

\[ \boxed{35} \text{ cubic inches.} \]