How much ribbon is needed for the package with a square base 1 foot on a side and 9 inches high if each diagonal piece of ribbon passes through the midpoint of an edge?
2007-03-08 01:12:42 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Since you don't explain how the ribbon will be wrapped on the package, it's hard to say.
If the ribbon is going around the package from the top center, passing through the midpoint of a side, around the bottom of the package, and back up the other side, one such loop would be 12" + 9" + 12" + 9" = 42" = 3.5 feet long.
If there are two such ribbons, perpendicular to each other to make a cross on top and bottom of the box, you would need twice as much, or 7 feet of ribbon.
A diagram would be helpful all-round with this one ;)
2007-03-08 01:17:38 · answer #1 · answered by MamaMia © 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A ribbon could be wrapped around the package once, appearing on all 6 sides as the hypotenuse of a right triangle extending from the midpoint of one edge to the midpoint of an adjacent edge. Its length would be the sum of the length of 6 hypotenuses, 4 with the other sides being 6 inches and 4.5 inches, and 2 with the other sides being 6 inches and 6 inches.
Thus the ribbon has to be at least 4x(6^2+4.5^2)^(1/2) + 2x(6^2+6^2)^(1/2) = 46.97 inches in length.
2007-03-08 11:31:56 · answer #2 · answered by NotEasilyFooled 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Which edge? The side? or the top/bottom?
2007-03-08 09:20:33 · answer #3 · answered by Dave 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋