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Introduction:
Once upon a time there was a little girl who was obsessed with Disney princesses. She
dreamed of growing up to meet her prince charming and live in the most majestic castle known
to man (or beast). Her favorite princess was Belle, the smart, kind, and beautiful bookworm who
managed to do the impossible and turn a beast into a man. Luckily for this little girl, her mother
was a multimillionaire willing to do anything to make her daughter’s dreams come true. She
issued a challenge to any and all of her loyal subjects to design and build a model of her
daughter’s dream castle. Fortunately, the millionaire hired some engineers who, like Belle, were
The millionaire had high standards that needed to be met in order to make the most
perfect castle for her daughter. For one, the tower had to be in the shape of a 20-sided polygon.
The plot size on which the castle would be built was 26 x 26 feet, however, the local rules would
not allow the tower to be within 3 feet of the boundaries of the plot. Also, the castle had to be
maximized in the given space with a side of the base exactly 3 feet from the plot boundary, no
more and no less. The castle was required to have a 20-gonal base with a door and two windows
and a roofline of a corresponding regular pyramid. Also, the millionaire wanted a cost analysis of
the concrete and Plexiglas used in the building of the tower and the volume and surface area of
This will be no easy feat to accomplish. Fortunately, the 9th grade GAT teacher from
MMSTC, Mr. Scot Acre, had prepared these particular engineers to take on this challenge.
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Part Two:
Figure 1 above shows all four of the polygons used to make further calculations and to
help in the building process of the tower. The largest polygon is maximized on the plot,
following the restrictions of not being allowed to build within three feet of the edge of the plot.
The maximized plot size is 20 feet x 20 feet. This was found by taking the 26 ft x 26 ft plot size
and subtracting 6 (3 from each opposite side). As seen in the figure above, the 20-gon fit best in
the 20 ft x 20 ft plot with edges flush with the sides of the plot instead of vertices
CA = 360/20
CA = 18°
Figure 2. Central Angle of 20-gon
In Figure 2, the central angle of a 20-gon is calculated. With n representing the number of
sides that the polygon has, the central angle is found to be 18° by dividing 360 by 20. Since all
four of the polygons mentioned in Figure 1 have 20 sides, all of their central angles are 18°, even
Figure 3 displays the height and one side length of polygon 1, the largest polygon
allowed on the plot. The maximized plot has a size of 20 ft x 20 ft. The height of the triangle
made from the center of the polygon to two consecutive vertices is 10 feet. This was found by
dividing the length of one side of the maximised plot in half. This results in the correct height of
the triangle because the sides of the polygon are touching the edges of the plot, so the overall
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height of the polygon is half of the length of one side of the maximized plot. The way to find the
opposite side(O)
Tangent (�) =
adjacent side( h eigh t)
O
Tangent (9°) =
10
10 * tan (9°) = O
O = 1.58
SL = 2 * 1.58
SL = 3.17 feet
Figure 4. Side Length of Polygon 1
One side length of polygon 1 can be calculated using the central angle of the polygon, the
height of the triangle, and the trigonometry function of tangent, as shown in Figure 4. Since the
tangent function can only be used with right triangles, the triangle in polygon 1 must be cut on
half, Therefore, the central angle and the side length are also half of what they are in the full
triangle, so the central angle measure of 18° must be divided by two to get 9° in order to
calculate the portion of the side length represented as the opposite side of the half triangle. Then,
the opposite side length has to be multiplied by two to get the overall side length of polygon 1.
The height of the triangle stays the same throughout this process. The side length can then be
calculated using this information and the tangent function to produce 3.17 feet as the final
number.
A1 = ½ * 3.17 * 10 * 20
A1 = 316.77 ft2
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Figure 5 above shows the area of polygon 1 and how it is calculated. To find the area of a
20-gon, the area of the triangle extending from the center of the polygon to one side is multiplied
by 20 because 20 of those triangles make up the entire polygon since the polygon has 20 sides.
The area for a triangle is half of the base multiplied by the height of the triangle. The height of
this triangle, found in Figure 3, is 10 ft. The base of the triangle is equivalent to a side length of
polygon 1, found in Figure 4. Therefore, the formula used in Figure 5 above works. With n
representing the number of sides the polygon has, the area of polygon 1 is 316.77 ft2.
Figure 6 displays the measurements of polygon 2. Since there is a 1 foot gap between
each polygon, the height of polygon 2 can be found by subtracting 1 from the height of polygon
1. 10 feet minus 1 foot equals 9 feet, so the height of the triangle that extends from the center of
polygon 2 to one of its sides is 9 feet. One side length of polygon 2 is calculated in Figure 7
below.
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opposite side(O)
Tangent (�) =
adjacent side(h eigh t)
O
Tangent (9°) =
9
9 * tan (9°) = O
O = 1.43
SL2 = 2 * 1.43
The side length of polygon 2, calculated in Figure 7, is found the same way as that of
polygon 1. The only difference is that the height of polygon 2 is 9 ft while the height of polygon
1 is 10 ft. This change results in the side length of polygon 2 being 2.85 ft.
A2 = ½ * 2.85 * 9 * 20
A2 = 256.58 ft2
Figure 8. Area of Polygon 2
The area of polygon 2 is also calculated in the same way that the area of polygon 1 was
calculated. This time, however, the side length is 2.85 ft, and the height is 9 ft. The overall area
1 foot away from polygon 2. The side length of polygon 3 is calculated below.
opposite side(O)
Tangent (�) =
adjacent side(h eigh t)
O
Tangent (9°) =
8
8 * tan (9°) = O
O = 1.27
SL3 = 2 * 1.27
In Figure 10 above, the side length of polygon 3 is found. The same method is used to
find this side length as done to find the side lengths of polygons 1 and 2. This time, however, the
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height of the triangle extending from the center of polygon 3 to one of its sides is 8 ft. This
A3 = ½ * 2.53 * 8 * 20
A3 = 202.73 ft2
Figure 11. Area of Polygon 3
The area of polygon 3 is found in the same way as that of polygons 1 and 2 except the
side length and the height are that of polygon 3. This difference results in the area of polygon 3
Figure 12 displays the measurements of Polygon 4, the smallest polygon used in the
tower-creating process. The height of polygon 4 is 1 foot less than that of polygon 3 because
there is 1 foot in between the two polygons. Therefore, the height of polygon 4 is 7 ft. The side
opposite side(O)
Tangent (�) =
adjacent side(h eigh t)
O
Tangent (9°) =
7
7 * tan (9°) = O
O = 1.11
SL4 = 2 * 1.11
The side length of polygon 4 is calculated in the same way as that of all of the other
polygons. The height is the only thing that changes. Using the height of polygon 4, the side
A4 = ½ x 2.22 * 7 x 20
A4 = 155.22 ft2
Figure 14. Area of Polygon 4
The area of polygon 4 is found in the same way as that of all of the other polygons. This
time, however, the side length and the height were unique to polygon 4 resulting in an area of
155.22 ft2.
Part Two is now complete. The heights, side lengths, and areas of all four polygons were
found.
Part Three:
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Figure 15 displays the dimensions of the concrete footing used to support the tower. The
footing is 3.5 feet deep and extends from polygon 1 to polygon 4, so it is 3 feet wide. The footing
Volume of the Footing (VF) = (A1 * Height of Footing) - (A4 * Height of Footing)
VF = 1108.69 - 543.26
VF = 565.43 ft3
Figure 16. Volume of the Footing
The volume of the concrete footing is found in Figure 16 above. Since the footing
extends from polygon 1 to polygon 4 but is hollow in the middle, the volume of a prism with
polygon 4 as its base and 3.5 as its height must be subtracted from the volume of a prism with
polygon 1 as its base and 3.5 as its height. The formula for finding the volume of a prism is the
base times the height, so the area of polygon 1, which is the base, is multiplied by 3.5 as the
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height to find the volume of the polygon 1 prism. The same thing is done with polygon 4 as the
base of the prism. Then, the volume of the polygon 4 prism is subtracted from the volume of the
polygon 1 prism to get 565.43 ft3 as the volume of the footing. This is what takes place in Figure
CC = 20.12 * 115
CC = 21 * 115
CC = $2415
Figure 17. Cost Analysis of Concrete
In Figure 17 above, the cost of the concrete needed to build the footing is found. The
company who is installing the concrete charges $115 per cubic yard of concrete. Since the
volume of the footing found in Figure 16 was in cubic feet, not cubic yards, it must be converted.
To convert from cubic feet to cubic yards, divide by 27. The volume of the footing (565.43 ft3)
divided by 27 is 20.12 cubic yards. Since the company charges per cubic yard, not per portion of
a cubic yard, this number must be rounded up to 21 yards3. Multiply 21 by the cost of the
concrete per cubic yard to get $2415 as the overall cost of the concrete needed to build the
footing.
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Figure 18 shows a diagram of the aquarium that will be built in the footing. The water
VW = 407.44 ft3
Figure 19. Volume of the Water in the Aquarium
Figure 19 shows the volume of the water needed to fill the aquarium. Since the water fills
up 75% of the footing, the height of the footing must be multiplied by 0.75. Then, the resulting
number must be multiplied by the area of polygon 4 because polygon 4 makes up the inside of
the footing, which is where the water will be. This results in the volume of the water needed to
Figure 20 shows the dimensions of the Plexiglass floor that covers the opening in the
footing. This way, the millionaire and her daughter can look through the floor of their castle and
VPF = ⅓ * 155.22
In Figure 21, the volume of the floor is calculated. The height of the floor is 4 inches,
which can be converted to ⅓ of a foot. This is then multiplied by the area of polygon 4 because
this polygon is the base of the floor. Also, the floor covers the aquarium, which deals with
CP = (155.22/32) * 1100
CP = 4.85 * 1100
CP = 5 * 1100
CP = $5500
Figure 22. Cost of Plexiglass for the Floor
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The cost of the Plexiglass needed to construct the floor is found in Figure 22. Plexiglass
is sold in 48” x 96” x 4” sheets for $1100. Since the sheets are already 4 inches thick, which is
the depth of the floor, this dimension can be discarded while finding the cost. The 48” x 96” part
is what is left. Since the area of polygon 4 is in feet2, the area of the base of one sheet of
Plexiglass must also be in feet2 in order to properly find the cost. To do this, 48” and 96” must be
divided by 12 to get 4’ x 8’. Multiply 4 and 8 to get 32 ft2. Now that the area of the Plexiglass
base is known, the area of polygon 4 must be divided by 32 to see how many sheets of Plexiglass
are needed to construct the floor. The resulting number is 4.85, however, Plexiglass can only be
bought per sheet, not by per portion of a sheet, so this number is rounded up to 5 before being
multiplied by 1100 to find the cost of the 5 Plexiglass sheets. The overall cost is $5500.
Part Four:
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Figure 23 shows a diagram of polygon 2 with one side length labeled. Polygon 2 is the
base of the outer prism. Also, the height of the inner and outer prisms is double the length of one
Figure 24 shows one lateral face of the outer prism including a door that is 2.5 feet by 4
feet with a top that is half of the shape of polygon 2. The height of the triangle that extends from
the center of the polygon that makes up the top part of the door to one of its sides is 1.25 ft
because it is half of the width of the door. The central angle of this polygon is still 18°, but this
angle must be cut in half in order to find the base of the triangle. Therefore, the tangent function
can be used to find the opposite side length with the angle measure of 9° and the adjacent side
length of 1.25 feet. The number resulting from this tangent function is only half of the actual side
length of the top of the door, so it must be doubled. This value ends up being 0.396 ft. The lateral
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face has the dimensions of 2.85 ft by 5.7 ft because the side length of polygon 2 (2.85 ft) has to
Area of Door (AD) = Area of Bottom Rectangle (AR) + Area of Top (AT)
AR = Base * Height
AR = 2.5 * 4
AR = 10 ft2
AT = (A of Triangle) * 10
AT = (½ * 0.396 * 1.25) * 10
AT = 2.48
AD = 10 + 2.48
AD = 12.48 ft2
Figure 25. Area of the Door
Figure 25 shows how the area of the door is calculated. The area of the bottom and top
portions are found and then added together to come to the conclusion that the area of the door is
12.48 ft2. The area of the top portion of the door is found by taking the area of the triangle that
extends from the center of the polygon to one side and multiplying that value by 10 because it is
half of a 20-sided polygon. The area of this triangle is found using the height of 1.25 ft and the
side length of 0.396 ft found in Figure 24. The bottom part of the door is in the shape of a
rectangle, so the base and the height are multiplied together to get the area.
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Figure 26 shows one lateral face of the outer prism with a window that has the same
dimensions as the top part of the door did. Therefore, the height of the inner triangle is 1.25 feet
AW = 2 * AT
AW = 2 * 2.48
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AW = 4.95 ft2
To calculate the lateral surface area of the outer prism, take the lateral surface area and
subtract the area of the door and the area of the windows. Since there are two windows on the
tower, the area of the window must be doubled before being subtracted from the lateral surface
area. The lateral surface area is found by finding the area of one face of the tower (base * height)
and multiplying that value by 20 because it is a 20-sided polygon. The area of the window is
found by taking the area of the top part of the door and multiplying it by 2 because the top of the
door was only half of the window. The area of the door and the top part are found in Figure 25.
When the areas of the door and windows are subtracted from the lateral surface area, the total
Part Five:
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Figure 28 shows a diagram of polygon 3. This polygon is the base of the inner prism of
the tower.
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Figure 29 shows one lateral face of the inner prism. The width of this pace is the same
length as one of the sides of polygon 3 (2.53 ft). The height of the inner prism is the same as the
The volume of the inner prism is found in Figure 30. To find the volume of a prism, the
area of the base and the height of the prism must be known. Since the base of the inner prism is
Joseph - Pierce 22
polygon 3, the area of polygon 3, calculated in Figure 11, can be used. The height of the inner
prism was found to be 5.07 feet in Figure 29. The total volume of the inner prism is 1155.94 ft3.
Part Six:
Figure 31 displays the dimensions of the pyramid top of the tower. The height of the
outer pyramid is three times the length of one side of the base, which is polygon 2. One side
length of polygon 2 is 2.85 ft. Multiply this by three to get 8.55 ft as the height of the outer
pyramid.
Height of Polygon 2 = a
Pythagorean Theorem = a2 + b2 = c2
SH2 = 8.552 + 92
SH2 = 154.15
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SH = 12.42 ft
Figure 32. Slant Height of One Lateral Face of the Outer Pyramid
Figure 32 shows how to find the slant height of one lateral face of the outer pyramid. The
slant height forms a right triangle with the height of the outer pyramid and the height of the
triangle in polygon 2, the base of the pyramid. The slant height forms the hypotenuse of this right
triangle. Therefore, the Pythagorean Theorem can be used to find the slant height. This value
Heig h t of Pyramid
Tangent(�) =
Heig ht of Polygon 2
8.55
Tan(�) =
9
8.55
� = Tan-1( )
9
� = 43.54°
Figure 33. Angle Measure Between the Pyramid Base and one of its Lateral Faces
Figure 33 shows how to calculate the angle measure between the base of the outer
pyramid and the slant height of one of its lateral faces. The height of the pyramid, the height of
polygon 2, and the slant height form a right triangle, so the tangent function, the height of the
pyramid, and the height of polygon 2 can be used to find this angle. The angle measure is 43.54°.
Part Seven:
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Figure 34 displays one lateral face of the outer pyramid along with all of its
measurements needed to build the tower. The slant height of the outer pyramid (12.42 ft) is the
height of this side. The base of this face is one side length of polygon 2 (2.85 ft). Using these
measurements, the angle measurements and the area of this face can be calculated, along with the
Base Angles = �1
Top Angle = �2
Heig ht of Face
Tangent (�1) =
1 /2 Side of Polygon 2
12.42
Tan (�1) =
1 /2∗2.85
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12.42
Tan (�1) =
1.43
12.42
�1 = Tan-1 ( )
1.43
�1 = 83.45°
�2 = 180 - (2 * �1)
�2 = 180 - (2 * 83.45)
�2 = 13.10°
Figure 35. Angle Measures of the Lateral Face
Figure 35 shows how to find the angle measurements of one lateral face of the outer
pyramid. This face is in the shape of an isosceles triangle, so the two base angles are equal. The
measurement of the base angles can be found by using the height of the face, the base of the
triangle, and the tangent function. Since the face does not make a right triangle, the altitude must
be drawn in to make two right triangles. One of these triangles will be used to find the base angle
measure. The height of the new right triangle is the same as the height of the face. This
measurement will be used as the opposite side in the tangent function. The adjacent side will be
half of the base of the face because the right triangle is half of the face. Using these values and
the inverse of tangent, the base angle measure can be found. This measurement is 83.45°. Since
all of the angles in any triangle add up to 180°, the last angle can be found by subtracting the two
base angle measurements from 180. The base angle measurements are the same, so this value can
be multiplied by two before being subtracted from 180 to find the last angle. This measurement
Figure 36. Area of One of the Lateral Faces of the Outer Pyramid
Figure 36 show how to find the area of one of the lateral faces of the outer pyramid.
Since the face is a triangle, the formula for the area of a triangle can be used. The base is the side
length of polygon 2 while the height was found in Figure 32. The measurements needed are all
LSAOPy = 17.7 * 20
Figure 37 shows how to calculate the lateral surface area of the outer pyramid. By taking
the area of one face and multiplying it by 20 (because there are 20 sides to the pyramid), the
lateral surface area can be found. This value is 353.96 square feet.
Part Eight:
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Figure 38 displays the inner pyramid along with all of its measurements, including the
slant height of one face and the height of the pyramid. The height of the pyramid is three times
the length of one of polygon 3’s sides. 2.53 (side length of polygon 3) multiplied by three is 7.6
Figure 39 shows the volume of the inner pyramid. The base of the pyramid is polygon 3,
so its area can be used to calculate the volume of the inner pyramid. The height was found in
Figure 38. Using these values, the volume is found to be 513.75 cubic feet.
Part Nine:
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Figure 40 shows a diagram of the outer tower. The prism makes up the bottom part of the
tower while the pyramid is on top. The base for both the outer prism and the outer pyramid is
polygon 2.
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Figure 41 shows how to find the lateral surface area of the outer tower. To do this, the
lateral surface area of the outer prism, found in Figure 27, and the lateral surface area of the outer
pyramid, found in Figure 37, must be added together. This results in the total lateral surface area
Figure 42 shows how to find the volume of the inner tower. The volume of the inner
prism, found in Figure 30, must be added with the volume of the inner pyramid, found in Figure
39, to get the total volume of the inner tower. 1155.94 (volume of the inner prism) plus 513.75
Conclusion:
Throughout the process of solving these calculations, very little issues were encountered.
However, one major issue was the width and height of the door and window. The given
dimensions were 5 ft by 3 ft, but a door this size would not fit on one of the sides of this tower,
The process for building this tower was a bit more complicated. The material that was
used to build the tower left lots of room for human error. Also, the 1 foot to 1 inch scale made the
Joseph - Pierce 30
model too large to use classic constructions with the available compasses, so all of the angle
measurements were done using a protractor and a ruler, which is much less efficient.
As for the millionaire that ordered the construction of this Beauty and the Beast themed
castle for her daughter, we hope her and her daughter are pleased with the outcome and choose