Name_____________________ Class_____________ Date__________
Problem Solving Connections
Something's Fishy As a birthday surprise for their son Wyatt, Mr. and Mrs. Watson
plan to purchase a large aquarium, its accessories, and all of Wyatt's favorite species
of tropical fish. Once they have decided on an aquarium, Mr. Watson will build a
stand for it, and then they will decide how many fish to buy.
Volume

After looking at several different aquariums, Mr. and Mrs. Watson have decided to
purchase either tank A or tank B.
A Find the volume of tank A.

B Find the volume of tank B.

C The Watsons decide to purchase the tank with the greater volume. Which tank
is this? How much greater is its volume than that of the other tank?

D A box of fish food is 2.25 inches long, 1.5 inches wide, and 4 inches tall. What
is the volume of the box of fish food?

E The filter system for the aquarium is in the shape of a rectangular prism. It
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measures 8 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 15 inches high. What is the volume
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of the filter system?
Surface Area

Mrs. Watson is wrapping the accessories for the aquarium. She will find the
surface area of each box to determine how much gift wrap she needs.
A Find the surface area of the box for the light kit.

B Find the surface area of the box for the heater.
Area and Perimeter

A A rectangular backdrop for the aquarium measures 5 feet by 3.5 feet. What is
the area that the back drop will cover?

B Mr. Watson has a solid rectangular piece of birch plywood for the top of the
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aquarium stand. The plywood is 6 feet long and 8 feet wide. He plans to attach
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decorative trim around the front and side edges. How much trim does he need?

C Mr. Watson removes a rectangle from the top back edge of the stand, as
shown, to allow space for electrical cords. Will the aquarium still fit on the stand in
front of this space? Explain.

D What is the area of the top of the stand? Explain how you found your answer.

E Find the area of the top of the stand using a different method than the one you
used in D .
Answer the Question

A One gallon of water fills 231 cubic inches of space. About how many gallons of
water are needed to fill the aquarium? (Hint: There are 1,728 cubic inches in a cubic
foot.)

B It is recommended that there be at least 12 gallons of water in the aquarium for
each fish. Using this rule, what is the maximum number of fish the Watsons should
purchase for the aquarium?

C If the Watsons had purchased the smaller tank, what would be the maximum
number of fish they should purchase?