A pool table supply company is making a cardboard box to package new cubes of pool cue chalk. Each cube of chalk is 1 cubic inch. The company considers all the ways to arrange 16 cubes of the chalk. Which arrangement of chalk would require the most cardboard for the box?

16 inches by 1 inch by 1 inch
8 inches by 2 inches by 1 inch
4 inches by 4 inches by 1 inch
4 inches by 2 inches by 2 inches

16 inches by 1 inch by 1 inch

Step-by-step explanation: Hope this help :D

geometry: triangles

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call the larger triangle abc

then the smaller triangle cde is similar to abc (all angles are equal, aaa).  

ab is the side that is 36, and we wish to find de, the side corresponding to ab

area_cde = area_abc - area_cde --> area_abc / area_cde = 2

let x=length of de

ratio of areas = (ratio of sides)^2

+2+=+%2836%2fx%29%5e2+

+2+=+1296%2fx%5e2+

++x%5e2+=+1296%2f2+=+648+

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