An aquarium shaped like a rectangular prism is 60 centimeters... | SAT Area and volume Question, Answer Explained

Math · Geometry and TrigonometryEasy

An aquarium shaped like a rectangular prism is $60$ centimeters long and $30$ centimeters wide. When completely full, it holds $54{,}000$ cubic centimeters of water. What is the height, in centimeters, of the aquarium?

$30$

$600$

$900$

$1{,}800$

Show answer and explanation

Answer: A

Volume equals length times width times height, so $54{,}000 = 60 \times 30 \times h = 1{,}800h$ . Dividing both sides by $1{,}800$ gives $h = 30$ centimeters.

Choice B divides the volume by $60 + 30 = 90$ , but the area of the base is the product $60 \times 30$ , not the sum.

Why the other choices are wrong

B. This divides by 60 + 30. The area of the base is 60 × 30.
C. This divides the volume by the length only.
D. This divides the volume by the width only.

Ask Owl about this question Next question

Got it wrong? On SAT Owl, Owl looks at the answer you chose and explains the exact mistake, then gives you similar questions until it sticks. Get your predicted SAT score free, or take a free full-length practice test.