A solid cylinder and a solid cone have equal base and equal height. If the radius and height be in the ratio of $4 : 3$, the ratio of the total surface area of the cylinder to that of the cone is
Aptitude
Volume and Surface Area
Difficulty: Medium
Choose an option
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A$10 : 9$
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B$11 : 9$
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C$12 : 9$
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D$14 : 9$
Answer
Correct Answer: $14 : 9$
Explanation
### Concept & Total Surface Area (TSA) Proportion
To find the ratio of their total surface areas, we need the standard TSA formulas. Since the shapes share the same radius ($r$) and height ($h$), we use their given ratio to find the cone's slant height ($l$).
$$TSA_{cylinder} = 2\pi r(r + h)$$
$$TSA_{cone} = \pi r(r + l)$$
$$l = \sqrt{r^2 + h^2}$$
### Step-by-Step Solution
* **Step 1:** Establish proportional values.
Let radius $r = 4x$ and height $h = 3x$.
* **Step 2:** Calculate the slant height of the cone.
$l = \sqrt{(4x)^2 + (3x)^2} = \sqrt{16x^2 + 9x^2} = \sqrt{25x^2} = 5x$
* **Step 3:** Calculate the Total Surface Area of the cylinder.
$TSA_{cylinder} = 2\pi (4x)(4x + 3x) = 8\pi x (7x) = 56\pi x^2$
* **Step 4:** Calculate the Total Surface Area of the cone.
$TSA_{cone} = \pi (4x)(4x + 5x) = 4\pi x (9x) = 36\pi x^2$
* **Step 5:** Determine the ratio.
$Ratio = \frac{56\pi x^2}{36\pi x^2} = \frac{56}{36}$
Divide both numerator and denominator by 4:
$Ratio = \frac{14}{9}$
### Exam Strategy & Shortcut
Recognize the classic $3-4-5$ right triangle. If $r=4$ and $h=3$, then $l=5$.
Set up the ratio directly: $\frac{2(r + h)}{r + l}$ (since $\pi r$ cancels out).
Substitute the values: $\frac{2(4 + 3)}{4 + 5} = \frac{2(7)}{9} = \frac{14}{9}$. This takes 10 seconds.
### Common Pitfall
A common mistake is using the Curved Surface Area ($2\pi rh$ and $\pi rl$) instead of Total Surface Area, which would give a ratio of $\frac{24}{20} = \frac{6}{5}$, leading to an incorrect answer. Always verify if the question asks for "curved" or "total" surface area.
### Final Answer
Therefore, the correct answer is **14 : 9**.