Question

Tanu is making a stage with matchboxes.
She first puts 14 matchboxes like this in the first layer.
She makes 4 such layers and her stage looks like this.
• She used ________ matchboxes to make this stage.
• The volume of one matchbox is the same as 10 cm cubes.
Then the volume of this stage is same as ________ cm cubes.
• If all these cubes are arranged in a line, how long will that line be? _________ cm.
• Which has more volume — your Math-Magic book or Tanu's platform?
With your friends, collect many empty matchboxes of the same size. Measure the sides and write here.



• Use 56 matchboxes to make platforms of different heights. Fill this table.

	How high is it?	How long is it?	How wide is it?
Platform 1
Platform 2
Platform 3

The volume of each platform is equal to __________ matchboxes.

Answer 1

• Number of matchboxes in 1 layer = 14
Number of layers that make the stage = 4
Total number of matchboxes in 4 layers = $14\times 4$
= 56

• Volume of 1 matchbox = 10 cm cubes
A total of 56 matchboxes are used to make the stage.
So, the volume of this stage = 56 $\times$ 10 cm cubes
= 560 cm cubes.

• Now, let's assume length of matchbox is 4.5 cm.
All the matchboxes are arranged in a line.
Then the total length of the line made by all 56 matchboxes = 4.5 cm $\times$ 56
= 252 cm

• The volume of Math-Magic book is 540 cm cubes, whereas volume of the platform is 560 cm cubes. Thus, Tanu's platform has more volume as compared to Math-Magic book.

•

	How high is it?	How long is it?	How wide is it?
Platform 1	1.5 cm	4 cm	93 cm
Platform 2	3 cm	4 cm	46 cm
Platform 3	4.5 cm	4 cm	31 cm

The volume of each platform is equal to 56 matchboxes.

Disclaimer: The length, width and height of the platform varies from student to student, based on his/her observation. It is highly recommended that the students prepare the answer on their own.