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Geometry Difficulty 3.8 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

Given a right circular cylinder ABCA1B1C1ABC-A_{1}B_{1}C_{1} with all vertices on the surface of a sphere with radius 11, determine the height of the cylinder when its volume is maximized.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Let's denote the base edge length of the right circular cylinder as aa. Then, the distance OAOA from the center OO of the base to vertex AA is OA=3a223=3a3OA=\frac{\sqrt{3}a}{2} \cdot \frac{2}{3} = \frac{\sqrt{3}a}{3}.

Thus, the height of the cylinder is h=2r2OA2=21a23h = 2\sqrt{r^2 - OA^2} = 2\sqrt{1 - \frac{a^2}{3}}.

The volume of the right circular cylinder is then V=SABCh=3a2421a23=32a4(1a23)=a22a22(3a2)1V = S_{\triangle ABC} \cdot h = \frac{\sqrt{3}a^2}{4} \cdot 2\sqrt{1 - \frac{a^2}{3}} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\sqrt{a^4\left(1 - \frac{a^2}{3}\right)} = \sqrt{\frac{a^2}{2} \cdot \frac{a^2}{2} \cdot (3-a^2)} \leq 1.

Equality occurs if and only if a22=a22=3a2\frac{a^2}{2} = \frac{a^2}{2} = 3 - a^2, which implies a=2a = \sqrt{2}.

Under these circumstances, the height of the cylinder is h=21a23=213=233h = 2\sqrt{1 - \frac{a^2}{3}} = 2\sqrt{\frac{1}{3}} = \boxed{\frac{2\sqrt{3}}{3}}.

To find the maximum volume, we set the base edge length as aa and express the cylinder's volume VV in terms of aa. We then find the critical point(s) of V(a)V(a) and determine the height hh of the cylinder at this point(s).

This problem tests understanding of the relationship between a cylinder and its circumscribed sphere, volume calculation of a cylinder, and applications of basic inequalities. It is of moderate difficulty.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.