Golden ratio 1: Cube with Φ

Geometry Level pending

A cube has the volume 54 + 3645 54+√3645 . What is the length of its space diagonal? If your answer can be expressed as ( a b ) ( Φ ) (a√b)*(Φ) , determine the value of a + b a+b . A scientific calculator may be used.

Note: Φ Φ represents the golden ratio.


The answer is 6.

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1 solution

Yashas Ravi
Apr 1, 2018

Φ represents the golden ratio, or 1 + 5 2 \frac{1+√5}{2} . 1 + 5 2 \frac{1+√5}{2} ^3, using the special product property for ( a + b ) 3 (a+b)^3 , simplifies to 2 + 5 2+\sqrt{5} . We will use this information later. It is given that the volume is 54 + 3645 54+\sqrt{3645} . 3645 = ( 729 5 ) \sqrt{3645} = \sqrt{(729*5)} , which is 27 5 27\sqrt{5} . Now the expression simplifies to 54 + 27 5 54+27\sqrt{5} , and we can factor out 27 27 to get 27 ( 2 + 5 ) 27(2+\sqrt{5}) . We already found out that Φ 3 = 2 + 5 Φ^3 = 2+\sqrt{5} . As a result, the side length of the cube is the cube root of 27 ( 2 + 5 ) 27(2+\sqrt{5}) , or 3 Φ . Since the space diagonal of a cube is the side length times 3 \sqrt{3} , ( 3 3 ) Φ (3\sqrt{3})Φ is the length of the space diagonal. Because our answer is in the form ( a b ) ( Φ ) (a\sqrt{b})(Φ) , a a and b b both equal 3 3 , so 3 + 3 = 6 3+3=6 . As a result, the final answer is 6 6 .

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