Question
A slice of cheese is cut from a wheel of parmesan, and the wedge approximates the shape of a rectangular pyramid. Its base is 4 cm wide and 9 cm long. The wedge is 21 cm tall. What is the volume of the piece of cheese
To find the volume of the wedge of cheese, we use the formula for the volume of a rectangular pyramid:
Volume = (1/3) * base area * height
First, we calculate the area of the base of the wedge:
Base area = length * width
Base area = 9 cm * 4 cm
Base area = 36 cm^2
Now, we can substitute the values into the volume formula:
Volume = (1/3) * 36 cm^2 * 21 cm
Volume = 252 cm^3
Therefore, the volume of the piece of cheese is 252 cubic centimeters.