Problem:
An aquarium has a rectangular base that measures by and has a height of . It is filled with water to a height of . A brick with a rectangular base that measures by and a height of is placed in the aquarium. By how many centimeters does the water rise?
Answer Choices:
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Solution:
The brick has a volume of cubic centimeters. Suppose that after the brick is placed in the tank, the water level rises by centimeters. Then the additional volume occupied in the aquarium is cubic centimeters. Since this must be the same as the volume of the brick, we have
The problems on this page are the property of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions