Math Problem

[efript]

how do u cut a cake with the following dimensions (12x12x4) with icing on the top and all sides (not the bottom though) into 5 pieces with equal amounts of cake and icing.... yeah i got this on the first day of school for precal... i dont think its even possible!

 

[godmare]

can it be a layer cake?

 

[efript]

ummm.... u mean like those big wedding cakes? no

 

[Gunslinger08]

Triangles?

 

[Gunslinger08]

Yeah, it can't be rectangular pieces.. has to be triangles.. or more accurately, triagular prisms.

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
Triangles?

 

[godmare]

Originally posted by: efript
ummm.... u mean like those big wedding cakes? no

no, not a big deal.
Just say there were two layers to the cake (like they put on the cake mix boxes), with frosting/icing between them.
Then you could cut the cake into four equal parts and then cut laterally along the layer.
Since it's theoretical, you could make all the frosting in the middle go to the bottom layer.

 

[Legendary]

Something like this.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: Legendary
Something like this.

Yeah, that's what I was working on.

Just get the volume/icing surface area that each piece needs and set up a system of equations to find the 3 dimensions.