Pi Problem

Question

A standard men's basketball is 30 inches in circumference. A standard women's basketball is 28.5 inches in circumference. This is only a 1.5 inch difference. What is their difference in volume?

 

Use:

 

V = 4*pi*radius^3

_______________

              3

 

and

 

C = 2*pi*radius

 

SHOW ALL WORK
THANK YOU

Answer 1

Chantelle,

You have the formulas already.

 

Knowing that C = 2(pi)r

Then r = C/2pi

 

Radius of men's basketball:

30/2pi = 4.77465 inches

Volume of men's basketball

V = (4/3)(pi)(4.77465)³

V = 445.9 cu in.

 

Radius of women's basketball:

28.5/2pi = 4.53592

Volume of women's basketball:

V = (4/3)(pi)(4.53592)³

V = 390.9 cu in.

 

Difference = 455.9 - 390.9 ≈ 65 cu in.

 

Note that this answer includes some

rounding so the answer is approximate.