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Ian Calandrino

Mr. Acre/ Mrs. Gravel

GAT/IDS 9A

15 January 2016

Cube in A Cube

Cubes can be found anywhere in the real world. They are three dimensional figures with

6 square faces. Boxes, dice, and ice cubes are some examples of cubes in the world. It is possible

to find the surface area and volume of cubes using math. There are two easy equations to finding

either surface area or volume. To find the surface area the area of one side needs to be found,

which is just base times height, and then multiply the area by six because there are six sides on a

cube. To find the volume the area of one side is needed, take the area and multiply it by the

height of the square. Using the surface area and volume it is possible to find the space a cube

takes up. Using the surface area of a cube, volume of a cube and some subtraction it is possible

to find any information about the cube in a cube.

Figure 1. Finished Inner Cube

This figure shows the finished inner cube. It was made out of 6 pieces of origami paper.
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Figure 2. Inner Cube Side Length

This figure shows how to find the length of one side of the inner cube.

To find the surface area of the solid inner cube first, find the area of one side. To do this

find the length of one side. To do this start with the full size paper which is 6 inches by 6 inches.

This is then folded this in half so the lengths will be 6 inches and 3 inches. After that when one

corner is folded up the 45 45 90 triangle method is needed to find that the hypotenuse of the

triangle side is 3 root 2 inches and that the height is 3 inches and the long length is 6 inches.

When both corners are folded up the hypotenuses are 3 root 2 inches because of the 45 45 90

triangle method, the height is 3 inches and the lengths are 3 inches. Finally after the corners are

folded up again the sides are 1.5 root 2 inches because the sides were divided in half. So the

length of each side of the inner cube is 1.5 root 2 inches.

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Figure 3. Finding Area of One Side of the Inner Cube

This figure shows how to find the area of one side. The area of one side of the inner cube

is 4.5 inches squared.

To find the area of one side of the inner cube the equation A=bh is used. This equation is

area equals base times height. So input the numbers and solve for the area. So 1.5 times 1.5 is

2.25 and root 2 times root 2 is 2, so 2.25 times 2 is 4.5 inches squared. The area of one side of

the cube is 4.5 inches squared.

Figure 4. Finding the Total Surface Area of the Inner Cube

This figure shows how to find the total surface area of the inner cube. The total surface

area is 27 inches squared.

To find the total surface area of the inner cube take the area of one side and multiply it by

the number of sides which is 6. So the equation is (bh)n=TSA, n being the number of sides. To

get the total surface area it is (4.5)6=27 inches squared. The total surface area of the inner cube is

27 inches squared.
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Figure 5. Finding the Volume of the Inner Cube

This figure shows how to find the volume of the inner cube. The volume is 6.75 root 2

inches cubed

To find the volume of the inner cube take the length of one side and multiply it by itself 3

times. So the equation is V=(L*L8L), L being the length of one side of the cube. So the

equation for the volume of the inner cube is V=(1.5 root 2 * 1.5 root 2 * 1.5 root 2) which is

simplified into 6.75 root 2 inches cubed. So the volume of the inner cube is 6.75 root 2 inches

cubed.

Figure 6. Finished Outer Cube

This figure shows the completed outer cube. It was made out of 12 pieces of origami

paper.
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Figure 7. Outer Cube Side length

This figure shows how to find the length of one side of the outer cube.

To be able to find the surface area and volume find one side length of the outer cube.

First start with the six inch by six inch piece of paper and since it is folded in half one side is

three and the other is six. Next since the 2 corners are folded up the 45 45 90 triangle method

is used to find the folded line is 1.5 root 2. After that, since the other corner is folded up the

folded line is 3 root 2 also using the 45 45 90 triangle method. For the next step the same

thing is done to the other corner so the numbers are the same for that side. Then the paper is

folded over the intersection of the 2 triangles, the top line is the base divided in half so it is 1.5

root 2 and the base is 3 root 2. In the final figure the base is still 3 root 2 and the long diagonal

side is 3 inches and the short diagonal is 1.5 because it is half of the long diagonal. So that means

each side of the outer cube is 3 root 2 inches long.

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Figure 8. Finding the Area of One Side of the Outer Cube

This figure shows how to find the area of one side. The area of one side is 13.5 inches

squared.

To find the area of one side of the outer cube use the area equation for a square which is

A=BH, with b being base and h being height. For this area though since there is a hole in the

middle that is the same size as the side of the inner cube we need to subtract that. So the equation

will end up being A=(3 root 2)(3 root 2) - (4.5). The area of one side ends up being 13.5 inches

squared when the equation is solved.

Figure 9. Finding the Total Surface Area of the Outer Cube

This figure shows how to find the total surface area of the outer cube. The total surface

area is 81 inches squared.

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To find the total surface area the equation is TSA=(bh)n, b being the base of one side, h

being the height of one side, and n being the number of sides on the figure. The equation being

used for this figure is TSa= ((3 root 2)(3 root 2)) (6) and the total surface area for the outer cube

is 81 inches squared.

Figure 10. Finding the Volume of Only the Outer Cube

This figure shows how to find the volume of only the outer cube The volume is 54 root 2

inches cubed.

To find the area of only the outer cube as if it were solid, take the length, the width, and

the height of the cube and multiply them together. The equation would end up being V=lwh. For

the outer cube the equation is V=(3 root 2)(3 root 2)(3 root 2), which when solved is 54 root 2.

So the volume of the outer cube if it was solid is 54 root 2 inches cubed.
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Figure 11. Finished Cube in a Cube

This figure shows the finished cube in a cube project, this used a total of 18 pieces of

origami paper.

Figure 12. Finding the Total Surface Area of the Cube in a Cube

This figure shows how to find the total surface area of the cube in a cube. The total

surface area of the cube in a cube is 108 inches squared.

To find the total surface area of the entire cube in a cube both surface areas need to be

added together. Since both surface areas were found earlier in the project this was very easy. To
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find the total surface area for the cube in a cube the TSA of the inner cube, 27, and the TSA of

the outer cube, 81, need to be added. Once this is done 108 inches squared is the total surface

area for the entire cube in a cube.

Figure 13. Finding the Volume of the Empty Space in the Outer Cube.

This figure shows how to find the volume of the empty space in the outer cube. The

volume of the empty space in the outer cube is 47.25 inches cubed.

To find the volume of the empty space in the outer cube take the volume of the outer

cube and subtract the area of the inner cube. This is because the inner cube is inside the outer

cube and it does not count as empty space. The equation to finding the volume of the empty

space is V=O-I with O being the outer cubes volume and I being the inner cubes volume. So in

the cube in a cube it is V=(54 root 2) - (6.75 root 2) which means the volume of the empty space

in the outer cube is 47.25 inches cubed.

After finding the total surface area and volume of the inner cube, the outer cube, and both

of them combined it seems much simpler and makes more sense than before. The inner cube was

the easiest because it is solid and small. The outer cube was harder because of the holes in the
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sides. Because the surface area and volume were found for both cubes before the cube in a

cubes total surface area and the outer cubes empty space volume were found it made it much

easier to do the final calculations. The shapes are related in certain ways also, which was more

noticeable once the project was started. The holes in the sides of the outer cube are the same size

as the area of the inner cube, and both have the same equations for area and volume. All in all it

was found the cube in a cubes total surface area is 108 inches squared and the outer cubes

empty space volume is 47.25 inches cubed.