document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1208729>Question 1208729</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> An open box is to be constructed from a piece of sheet metal by removing a square of side 1 foot from each corner and turning up the edges. If the box is to hold 4 cubic feet, what should the dimensions of the sheet metal be?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Let me see.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I see the word volume. The problem talks about a box. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I need the volume of a rectangular box formula.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "V = length x width x height\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "or V = lwh for short. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Length = x - 24\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Width = x - 24\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Height is 12.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "My setup is as follows:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Let x = dimensions of the sheet metal \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "V = (x - 24)(x - 24)(12) \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Is my volume setup correct?  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #847146 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=ikleyn><B>ikleyn(52812)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=ikleyn><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=ikleyn><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=847146\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> .\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In this post, some things just shock me.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "First, the formulation of the problem is mathematically incomplete (which in Math language means INCORRECT).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To be complete and correct, the problem must say that the original piece of metal is a square.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then we know that only one dimension should be determined.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Second thing is how you treat the problem.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Without any necessity, without any motivation and without any explanations, you replace feet by inches.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<PRE STYLE=\"white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: -moz-pre-wrap; white-space: -pre-wrap; white-space: -o-pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;\">\r\n" );
document.write( "The normal treatment is to declare that you look for the length x of the side \r\n" );
document.write( "of the metal sheet in feet and then to write an equation for the volume\r\n" );
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document.write( "    (x-2)*(x-2)*1 = 4  cubic feet,\r\n" );
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document.write( "which gives\r\n" );
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document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28x-2%29%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28x-2%29%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > = 4,\r\n" );
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document.write( "    x - 2 = <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=sqrt%284%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"sqrt%284%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > = 2,\r\n" );
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document.write( "    x = 2 + 2 = 4.   \r\n" );
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document.write( "<U>ANSWER</U>.  The original peace of metal is a square with the side length of 4 ft.\r\n" );
document.write( "</PRE>\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Solved, without making/creating any artificial difficulties.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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