16Hit1600
Geometry and TrigonometryHardVolume of a hollow box's walls

Geometry and Trigonometry practice question

A closed wooden box has outer dimensions 10 cm by 10 cm by 10 cm and walls 1 cm thick on every side. What is the volume of the wood, in cubic centimetres?

  1. A. 488Correct
  2. B. 512
  3. C. 1000
  4. D. 271

Answer: A. 488

Outer volume 10³ = 1000. Inner cavity: each dimension loses 2 cm (1 cm per side), so 8³ = 512. Wood: 1000 − 512 = 488.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. 512
512 is the volume of the CAVITY.
C. 1000
1000 is the whole outer box, cavity included.
D. 271
271 uses an inner cube of side 9 (1000 − 729), subtracting the thickness once instead of twice.

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