A regular pyramid

Geometry Level 3

The right pyramid shown in the figure has a height of 15 15 and a base of a regular hexagon with side length 6 6 . If the total surface area of the pyramid can be expressed as x 3 + y 7 x\sqrt 3 + y \sqrt 7 , where x x and y y are integers, find x + y x+y .


The answer is 162.

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2 solutions

Chew-Seong Cheong
Oct 17, 2020

Let the length of the slanting side of the isosceles triangle be a a . Then a = 1 5 2 + 6 2 = 261 = 3 29 a=\sqrt{15^2 + 6^2} = \sqrt{261} = 3\sqrt{29} . By Heron's formula , the area of an isosceles triangle is:

A = ( a + 3 ) ( 3 2 ) ( a 3 ) Note that s = 2 a + 6 2 = a + 3 = 9 ( a 2 9 ) = 9 9 28 = 18 7 \begin{aligned} A_\triangle & = \sqrt{(a+3)(3^2)(a-3)} & \small \blue{\text{Note that }s = \frac {2a+6}2 = a+3} \\ & = \sqrt{9(a^2 - 9)} = \sqrt{9\cdot 9 \cdot 28} \\ & = 18 \sqrt 7 \end{aligned}

The area of the base hexagon is that of six equilateral triangles with side length 6 6 . Then A hex = 6 6 2 sin 6 0 2 = 54 3 A_{\text{hex}} = 6 \cdot \dfrac {6^2 \sin 60^\circ}2 = 54 \sqrt 3 .

Therefore the total surface area A = A hex + 6 A = 54 3 + 108 7 A = A_{\text{hex}} + 6 A_\triangle = 54\sqrt 3 + 108 \sqrt 7 . x + y = 54 + 108 = 162 \implies x+y = 54+108 = \boxed{162} .

Tom Engelsman
Oct 17, 2020

Area of the regular hexagonal base: A 1 = 6 ( 6 2 3 4 ) = 54 3 . A_{1} = 6 \cdot (\frac{6^2 \sqrt{3}}{4}) = 54\sqrt{3}.

Area of the six slanted faces: A 2 = 6 ( 1 2 6 1 5 2 + ( 3 3 ) 2 ) = 108 7 . A_{2} = 6 \cdot (\frac{1}{2} \cdot 6 \cdot \sqrt{15^2 + (3\sqrt{3})^2}) =108\sqrt{7}.

Hence, x = 54 , y = 108 x + y = 162 . x=54, y=108 \Rightarrow x+y = \boxed{162}.

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