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2017 AMC 10B Problem 6

Problem 6 of 25EasierAlgebraGeometry

What is the largest number of solid 22-in ×\times 22-in ×\times 11-in blocks that can fit in a 33-in ×\times 22-in ×\times 33-in box?

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Solution

The volume of the large solid object is 332=183\cdot 3\cdot 2 = 18 and volume of the smaller object is 221=4.2\cdot 2\cdot 1=4. This means we can fit at most 44 of the small objects. We can make this happen by putting 33 of the small objects in a 3×2×23 \times 2 \times 2 rectangular prism, and then we have a 3×2×13 \times 2 \times 1 space left where we can place one small object. Thus, the correct answer is B .

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Concepts: volume · rectangular prism · bounding to limit cases

Problem text and solution from the LIVE past-contest archive. See also the AoPS wiki page for community solutions.