How to find the length of an edge of a prism - PSAT Math

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Question

A right rectangular prism has a volume of 120 cubic units. Its dimensions are such that the second dimension is three times the length of the first, and the third dimension is five times the dimension of the first. What are its exact dimensions?

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Answer

Based on our prompt, we can say that the prism has dimensions that can be represented as:

Dim1: x

Dim2: 3 * Dim1 = 3x

Dim3: 5 * Dim1 = 5x

More directly stated, therefore, our dimensions are: x, 3x, and 5x. Therefore, the volume is x * 3x * 5x = 120, which simplifies to 15x3 = 120 or x3 = 8. Solving for x, we find x = 2. Therefore, our dimensions are:

x = 2

3x = 6

5x = 10

Or: 2 x 6 x 10

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