Question

A pet shop had 8 identical fish tanks in the shape of rectangular prisms. The width and height of each tank was (x - 7) inches and the length was 8 inches more than its width. The expression below shows the maximum amount of water which all the tanks together can hold.

8(x + 1)(x - 7)2

What does the factor (x - 7)2 represent?
a.The total base area of all the tanks
b.The total surface area of each tank
c.The area of the rectangular base of each tank
d.The area of a square shaped side of the tank

Answer 1

Have you started by drawing a sketch of one tank?

Answer 2

no

Answer 3

Volume of 1 tank = L * w * h

Answer 4

okay so I am going with c is that right

Answer 5

So what is the \((x-7)^2\)?

Answer 6

49?

Answer 7

The area of the rectangular base of one tank, would be what? What product, in terms of L, w and h?

Answer 8

No, you aren't evaluating anything. You are just looking at the expression, which gives the total volume for all 8 tanks, and asked to interpret that factor, \((x-7)^2\)

Answer 9

You said the area of the base, so my question is: in terms of L, w and h, what is the area of the rectangular base?