How many cubic meters of dirt are there in a​ pile, conical in​ shape, 9 m in diameter, and 4 m​ high?

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There are approximately
  
cubic meters of dirt in the pile.

1 answer

To calculate the volume of a conical pile of dirt, we can use the formula for the volume \( V \) of a cone:

\[ V = \frac{1}{3} \pi r^2 h \]

Where:

  • \( r \) is the radius of the base of the cone,
  • \( h \) is the height of the cone.

Given:

  • The diameter of the pile is 9 m, so the radius \( r \) is half of the diameter: \[ r = \frac{9 , \text{m}}{2} = 4.5 , \text{m} \]

  • The height \( h \) of the pile is 4 m.

Now we can substitute the values into the volume formula:

\[ V = \frac{1}{3} \pi (4.5 , \text{m})^2 (4 , \text{m}) \]

Calculating \( (4.5)^2 \): \[ (4.5)^2 = 20.25 \]

Now substituting into the volume formula: \[ V = \frac{1}{3} \pi (20.25) (4) \]

Calculating \( 20.25 \times 4 \): \[ 20.25 \times 4 = 81 \]

Now substituting back into the volume formula: \[ V = \frac{1}{3} \pi (81) \]

And calculating \( \frac{1}{3} \times 81 \): \[ \frac{81}{3} = 27 \]

Therefore: \[ V = 27\pi \]

Now, using \( \pi \approx 3.14 \): \[ V \approx 27 \times 3.14 \approx 84.78 , \text{cubic meters} \]

Thus, there are approximately 84.78 cubic meters of dirt in the pile.