Word problems with volume.

Question

What is the volume of the empty space left when three tennis balls with a diameter of 3 in are packed into a cylindrical container that is 9 in tall with the same diameter as the tennis balls? As best you can, show all your work and round your answer to the nearest tenth. *

Answer 1

Find the volume of the container first. It is cylindrical in shape, so use the formula for volume of a cylinder, which is V = πr²h, where r is the radius and h is the height of the container. Next, find the volume of one of the tennis balls. These balls are in the shape of a sphere, and the formula for volume of a sphere is V = 4/3 πr³, where r is the radius of the sphere. The volume of the empty space will be the volume of the container minus the volume of the three tennis balls.