A cuboidal shaped cell with six sides is 1mm X 1mm X 1mm. What is the volume and the surface area of the cell?

Question

A.  1mm3 : 6mm2
B.  3mm3 : 3mm2
C.  1mm3 : 3mm2
D.  3mm3 : 1mm2

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
· What type of thinking is required?
· What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?

Gather Content
· What do you know about area and volume of a cube? How does it relate to the question?

Consider Possibilities
· What other information is related to the question? Which information is most useful?

Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

A.  1mm3 : 6mm2

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o The question asks about the volume and surface area of a cube.
· What type of thinking is required?
        o You are being asked to apply your knowledge of the volume and surface area of a cube to calculate both.
· What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
        o Volume of a cube – this is the 3-dimensional volume of the cube.
        o Surface area of a cube – a cube has 6 faces – think of a dice with 1 through 6 spots on each face.

Gather Content
· What do you know about area and volume of a cube? How does it relate to the question?
        o The volume of a cube is calculated by multiplying the height x width x depth of a cube. If the dimensions of the cube are given in millimeters (mm) then the final volume will be mm x mm x mm = mm3.
        o To calculate the surface area of a cube first calculate the area of one face of the cube. This will be the height x the width. A cube has 6 faces, so you then multiply the area of one face x 6 to calculate the total surface area. If the dimensions of the cube are given in millimeters (mm) then the final area will be mm x mm = mm2.

Consider Possibilities
· What other information is related to the question? Which information is most useful?
        o For both the volume and the area calculations remember to multiply the dimensions together, do not add them.

Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        o The volume of the cube will be 1mm x 1mm x 1mm =1mm3.
        o The area of one face of the cube will be 1mm x 1mm = 1mm2. There are 6 faces on a cube, so the total area of the cube will be 6 x 1mm2 =6mm2.

Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o This question asked you to apply your understanding of the volume and area of a cube to a specific example. If you got the correct answer, great job! If you got an incorrect answer, where did the process break down? Did you have trouble remembering the formulas for thevolume of a cube and the area of a cube? Did you think that you needed to add the dimensions instead of multiplying them? Did you remember that a cube has 6 faces, so you need to multiply the area of one face times 6 to calculate the entire area?