SOLUTION: A mouse is in a corner inside a rectangular box. The length of the box is 30 feet, the width is 24 feet, and the height is 16 feet. The mouse is in the bottom corner and has to get

Question 706376: A mouse is in a corner inside a rectangular box. The length of the box is 30 feet, the width is 24 feet, and the height is 16 feet. The mouse is in the bottom corner and has to get to the opposite top corner (look at diagram). The mouse can run on any surface in any direction and on the ceiling. The mouse gets to the finish in 50 ft, what route did he take? THANK YOU SOO MUCH
DIAGRAM LINK:
http://tinypic.com/r/348t2ft/6
Answer by Simnepi(216) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
This problem has a bit of a trick to it.
You have to open the box to make a net and then use pythagoras theorem to find the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle.
The tricky part is how you make the net!
I will try to describe how.
In the diagram (http://tinypic.com/r/348t2ft/6)
Open the box so that all the long faces are joined along their longest side and the 2 ends are attached in the appropriate place. (Try drawing a diagram)
(sorry I don't know how to do this any better)
The mouse then has to make a journey that crosses two of the long faces which is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with short sides of 30 feet and (16 + 24=)40 feet.
using pythagoras

so the mouse can complete the journey in 50 feet.
I hope I have helped.

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