High School

Jody has a plastic container in the shape of a rectangular prism. The container is 8 1/2 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 3 1/2 inches high. What is the volume of this plastic container?

a) 119 cubic inches
b) 97 cubic inches
c) 34 cubic inches
d) 16 cubic inches

Answer :

Final answer:

The volume of the plastic container is 119 cubic inches. The volume of Jody's plastic container is calculated by multiplying the length (8 ½ inches), width (4 inches), and height (3 ½ inches). After converting mixed numbers to improper fractions, the volume is found to be 119 cubic inches, which is option (a).

Explanation:

The volume of a rectangular prism is found by multiplying its length, width, and height. For Jody’s plastic container, which has dimensions of 8 ½ inches long, 4 inches wide, and 3 ½ inches high, the calculation to find the volume is as follows:

  1. Convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions: 8 ½ inches is equivalent to ⅗/2 inches, and 3 ½ inches is equivalent to ⅗/2 inches.
  2. Multiply the lengths: ⅗/2 inches × 4 inches × ⅗/2 inches.
  3. Calculate the product: (17 × 4 × 7) / (2 × 1 × 2) cubic inches = 476/4 cubic inches = 119 cubic inches.

Therefore, the volume of the plastic container is 119 cubic inches, which corresponds to option (a).