A cube is inscribed within a sphere such that all the vertices of the cube touch the sphere. If the volume of the cube is equal to , what is the radius of the sphere?
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Let the cube have side length equal to a and let the radius of the sphere be r . From the question we have a 3 = 2 × 9 6 3 ⇒ a = 4 3 . The main diagonal of the cube will have length 3 × a = 1 2 (this can be obtained by Pythagorean theorem). By symmetry, the center of the cube is equal to the center of the sphere, hence the main diagonal of the cube is the diameter of the sphere. Hence, the radius of the sphere is 2 1 2 = 6 .