document.write( "Question 712929: Peter has a piece of metal 18 inches wide and 20 inches long, he wants to make an open box with a volume of 200 inches cubed, by cutting out a square of the same size from each corner and folding up the edges of the piece of metal. To the nearest tenth of an inch what is the length(s) of a side of the square cut from each corner? Round to the nearest hundredths \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #438221 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! Peter has a piece of metal 18 inches wide and 20 inches long, he wants to make an open box with a volume of 200 inches cubed, by cutting out a square of the same size from each corner and folding up the edges of the piece of metal. \n" ); document.write( " To the nearest tenth of an inch what is the length(s) of a side of the square cut from each corner \n" ); document.write( ":\" \n" ); document.write( "Let x = length of the side of the square to be removed from each corner \n" ); document.write( "then \n" ); document.write( "(20-2x) = the length of the box \n" ); document.write( "(18-2x) = the width of the box \n" ); document.write( "x = the height of the box \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( " h * L * W = V \n" ); document.write( " therefore \n" ); document.write( "x(20-2x)(18-2x) = 200 \n" ); document.write( "FOIL \n" ); document.write( "x(360 - 40x - 36x + 4x^2) = 200 \n" ); document.write( "x(360 - 76x + 4x^2) = 200 \n" ); document.write( "360x - 76x^2 + 4x^2 - 200 = 0 \n" ); document.write( "4x^3 - 76x^2 + 360x - 200 = 0 \n" ); document.write( "simplify, divide by 4 \n" ); document.write( "x^3 - 19x^2 + 90x - 50 = 0 \n" ); document.write( "find the 0 by graphing \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "x intercept occurs when x = .64 inches, the side of of the removed square \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "You can confirm this yourself by finding the volume \n" ); document.write( "(20-1.28)*(18-1.28) * .64 = \n" ); document.write( " |