SOLUTION: I am taking the IL basic skills math test this Sat. morning so I need this answer solved before then if possible. I have the correct answer for it (on a practice test) but no expla

Question 391467: I am taking the IL basic skills math test this Sat. morning so I need this answer solved before then if possible. I have the correct answer for it (on a practice test) but no explanation as to how it was reached. I'm trying to use the formulas and it doesn't make sense to me. So here it goes:
There's a photo of a cube above the Word problem.
A metal worker is building a wire frame (represented by the dotted and solid lines in the diagram above) for a cubic box that is to have a volume of 27 cubic feet. What is the total length of wire the metal worker will need.
So are they asking for the surface area? I know the formula for surface area is 6s2 and the formula for volume is s3. The correct answer is 36 feet but when I work out the problem I'm not getting that answer. Please help! Thank you.
Natalie
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

No. What they want is the sum of the lengths of all of the edges of the cube. If you count them, there are 4 edges on top, 4 edges on the bottom, and 4 vertical edges, for a total of 12 edges. If the volume of the cube is 27 cubic feet, then one edge of the cube must measure the cube root of 27, namely 3 feet. If there are 3 feet in each of 12 edges, that gets you to your answer of 36 feet.

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it

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