Cone volume change — height tripled, radius halved: If the height of a right circular cone is increased by 200% (i.e., tripled) and the base radius is reduced by 50%, what is the net change in the cone’s volume?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: decreases by 25%

Explanation:

Introduction / Context:Volume V of a cone is (1/3)πr^2h. Scale factors multiply: radius affects volume quadratically; height affects it linearly.

Given Data / Assumptions:h_new = 3h (200% increase), r_new = 0.5r (50% decrease).

Concept / Approach:Compute factor f = (r_new^2 h_new)/(r^2 h) = (0.5^2)*3 = 0.25*3 = 0.75.

Step-by-Step Solution:V_new = 0.75 V_oldChange = −25% (a decrease of one quarter)

Verification / Alternative check:Pick r=2, h=2 ⇒ V_old = (1/3)π*4*2 = (8/3)π; new r=1, h=6 ⇒ V_new = (1/3)π*1*6 = 2π; 2π/(8/3)π = 0.75.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:They do not align with the combined quadratic and linear scaling.

Common Pitfalls:Adding the percentages instead of multiplying the factors.

Final Answer:decreases by 25%

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