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Question
A suitcase that is shaped like a rectangular prism has a volume of 2,600 cubic inches. The suitcase is 10 inches long and 20 inches tall. What is the width of the suitcase?

Hint: the formula for finding the volume of a rectangular prism is: V=Bh

B = area of the base (which is a rectangle)

(1 point)

1 answer

To find the width of the suitcase, we can use the formula for the volume of a rectangular prism, which is:

\[ V = B \times h \]

where \( V \) is the volume, \( B \) is the area of the base, and \( h \) is the height.

  1. Calculate the area of the base \( B \). The base is a rectangle with a length \( l \) and width \( w \):

\[ B = l \times w \]

Given:

  • Length \( l = 10 \) inches
  • Height \( h = 20 \) inches
  • Volume \( V = 2,600 \) cubic inches

Since we know the height of the suitcase, we can rearrange the volume formula to solve for \( B \):

\[ B = \frac{V}{h} = \frac{2600}{20} = 130 \text{ square inches} \]

  1. Now, plug in the length to find the width:

\[ B = l \times w \]

Substituting in the values we have:

\[ 130 = 10 \times w \]

  1. Now solve for \( w \):

\[ w = \frac{130}{10} = 13 \text{ inches} \]

Thus, the width of the suitcase is 13 inches.