standard_description: Give an informal argument for the formulas for the circumference of a circle, area of a circle, volume of a cylinder, pyramid, and cone. Use dissection arguments, Cavalieri’s principle, and informal limit arguments.
problem_activity: Task
Three of the great Egyptian pyramids are pictured below. Each is a square pyramid.
[IMG]
Calculate the missing information for each the 3 individual pyramids based on the given measurements:
The great Pyramid of Menkaure has a height of about 215 feet and a base side length of about 339 feet. What is its volume?
The great Pyramid of Khafre has a volume of about 74,400,000 cubic feet and a base side length of 706 feet. What is its height?
The great Pyramid of Khufu has a volume of about 86,700,000 cubic feet and a height of 455 feet. What is the length of its base?
The Great Pyramid of Khufu once stood 26 feet taller than it is today. Calculate the original volume of the Great Pyramid. Similarly, the Pyramid of Khafre has eroded over time and lost some of its height. If the original volume of the pyramid was approximately 78,300,000 cubic feet, what was its original height?


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