A cylindrical pillar, with a regular nonagonal cross-section, has to be carved out of a right circular cylindrical sandal wood. If the height is 10' and diameter of the base is 1', how do you prove that the minimum possible scrap is 0.623 cft, nearly?

1 Answer
Jan 7, 2017

google image modified
The nonagonal cross section of the pillar has been shown in the above figure. Here r represents the radius of the original cylindrical pillar. So r= 1/2ft ("given")

So area of the nonagonal cross section is equal to the total area of 9 identical isosceles triangles each having area equal to the area of DeltaABO

So the nonagonal cross sectional area

A=9xxDeltaABO=9xx1/2r^2xxsin/_AOB

=9/2xx(1/2)^2xxsin40^@=9/8xxsin40^@sqft

Height of the pillar h=10ft

So volume of the pillar of nonagonal cross section

V_2=Ah=90/8xxsin40^@cuft

The original volume of the cylindrical pillar
V_1=pir^2h=pi(1/2)^2xx10cuft

So the volume of the minimum possible scrap is

V_"scrap"=V_1-V_2

=pi(1/2)^2xx10cuft-90/8xxsin40^@cuft~~0.623cft