Problems

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Solution:

1. Suppose the vertices are \((\pm1, 0,0), (0,\pm1,0), (0,0,\pm1)\), then clearly this is an octahedron. We can measure the angle between the faces, by looking at vectors in the same plane and also in two of the faces: \(\langle \frac12, \frac12, - 1\rangle\) and \(\langle \frac12, \frac12, 1\rangle\), then by considering the dot product: \begin{align*} && \cos \theta &= \frac{\frac14+\frac14-1}{\frac14+\frac14+1} \\ &&&= \frac{-2}{6} = -\frac13 \end{align*}
2. The volume of our octahedron is \(2 \cdot \frac13 \cdot \underbrace{\sqrt{2}^2}_{\text{base}} \cdot \underbrace{1}_{\text{height}} = \frac43\). The centre of two touching faces are \(\langle \frac13, \frac13, \frac13 \rangle\) and \(\langle \frac13, \frac13, -\frac13 \rangle\) and so the length of the side of the cube is \(\frac23\) and so the volume of the cube is \(\frac8{27}\). Therefore the ratio is \(\frac{2}{9}\)

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Solution: First let's consider the area of the base. It is an equilateral triangle with side length \(a\), so \(\frac12 a^2 \sin 60^\circ = \frac{\sqrt{3}}4a^2\).

Let's consider the height. The distance to the centre \(\frac23 \frac{\sqrt{3}}2 a = \frac{a}{\sqrt{3}}\) so \(h = \sqrt{b^2 - \frac{a^2}{3}}\) and therefore the volume is: \begin{align*} V &= \frac13 \times \mbox{area of base} \times \mbox {height} \\ &= \frac13 \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4}a^2 \sqrt{\frac{3b^2-a^2}{3}} \\ &= \frac1{12}a^2 (3b^2-a^2)^{\frac12} \end{align*} The area of an isoceles triangle with sides \(a,b,b\) can be found by considering the perpendicular: ie \(\frac{a}{4} \sqrt{b^2-\frac{a^2}{4}} = \frac{a\sqrt{4b^2-a^2}}{8}\). Therefore by considering the volume, we must have \begin{align*} && V &= \frac13 \times \mbox{area of base} \times \mbox {height} \\ \Rightarrow && \frac1{12}a^2 (3b^2-a^2)^{\frac12} &= \frac13 \frac{a\sqrt{4b^2-a^2}}{8} h \\ \Rightarrow && h &= \frac{2a(3b^2-a^2)}{(4b^2-a^2)^{\frac12}} \\ \Rightarrow && h^2 &= \frac{4a^2(3b^2-a^2)}{4b^2-a^2} \end{align*}

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Solution: Set up a coordinate system so that \(x\) is E-W, \(y\) is N-S and \(z\) is the vertical direction. Also assume \(B\) is the origin, then, \(A = \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ -100 \\ 5\end{pmatrix}, B = \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ 0 \\ 0\end{pmatrix}, C= \begin{pmatrix} 60 \\ 0\\ -5\end{pmatrix},\). The coal seam has points: \(\begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ -100 \\ -90\end{pmatrix}, \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ 0 \\ -45\end{pmatrix}, \begin{pmatrix} 60 \\ 0\\ -81\end{pmatrix},\) Therefore we can find the normal to the coal seam: \begin{align*} \mathbf{n} &= \left (\begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ -100 \\ -90\end{pmatrix} - \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ 0 \\ -45\end{pmatrix}\right ) \times \left ( \begin{pmatrix} 60 \\ 0\\ -81\end{pmatrix} - \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ 0 \\ -45\end{pmatrix}\right ) \\ &= \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ - 100 \\ -45\end{pmatrix} \times \begin{pmatrix} 60 \\ 0 \\ -36\end{pmatrix} \\ &= \begin{pmatrix} 3600 \\ -60 \cdot 45 \\ 60 \cdot 100 \end{pmatrix} \\ &= 300\begin{pmatrix} 12 \\ -9 \\ 20\end{pmatrix} \end{align*} To measure the incline \(\theta\) to the horizontal we can take a dot with \(\hat{\mathbf{k}}\), to see: \begin{align*} \cos \theta &= \frac{20}{\sqrt{12^2+(-9)^2+20^2} \sqrt{1^2+0^2+0^2}} \\ &= \frac{20}{25} \\ &= \frac{4}{5} \end{align*} Therefore the angle is \(\cos^{-1} \tfrac 45\) The equation of the seam is \(12x - 9y + 20z = -900\). The equation of the surface is \(5x + 3y + 60z = 0\) We can compute the direction of the overlap again with a cross product: \begin{align*} \mathbf{d} &= \begin{pmatrix} 12 \\ -9 \\ 20\end{pmatrix} \times \begin{pmatrix} 5 \\ 3 \\ 60\end{pmatrix} \\ &= \begin{pmatrix} -600 \\ -620 \\ 81 \end{pmatrix} \end{align*} To get the bearing of this vector we just need to look at the \(x\) and \(y\) components, so it will be \(\tan^{-1} \frac{600}{620} = \tan^{-1} \frac{30}{31}\)