Which calculation would be needed to find each of the following?

Surface area and volume

the amount od cereal a cereal box can hold
the amount of paint needed to paint the sides of a house
the house amount or wrapping paper needed to wrap a girf
the amount of water a bottle can hold

1 answer

To determine the different values noted in your examples, you would use specific calculations for surface area and volume based on the shapes involved. Here's a breakdown for each scenario:

  1. The amount of cereal a cereal box can hold:

    • Calculation Needed: Volume
    • Formula: For a rectangular box, the volume \( V \) is calculated using \( V = \text{length} \times \text{width} \times \text{height} \).
  2. The amount of paint needed to paint the sides of a house:

    • Calculation Needed: Surface Area
    • Formula: If the house is modeled as a rectangular prism, the surface area \( A \) can be calculated using \( A = 2(\text{length} \times \text{width} + \text{length} \times \text{height} + \text{width} \times \text{height}) \).
  3. The amount of wrapping paper needed to wrap a gift:

    • Calculation Needed: Surface Area
    • Formula: If the gift is in the shape of a rectangular box, use the same formula as above for surface area, or for a cylinder, use \( A = 2\pi r(h + r) \) where \( r \) is the radius and \( h \) is the height.
  4. The amount of water a bottle can hold:

    • Calculation Needed: Volume
    • Formula: The volume of a cylinder can be calculated using \( V = \pi r^2 h \), where \( r \) is the radius and \( h \) is the height. If the bottle is a different shape, the formula would vary accordingly.

In summary:

  • Use volume calculations for capacities (cereal box, water bottle).
  • Use surface area calculations for materials needed to cover surfaces (paint, wrapping paper).