The radius of a bigger sphere is 16 cm more than the radius of a smaller…
2024
The radius of a bigger sphere is 16 cm more than the radius of a smaller sphere. The difference between their surface areas is 1408π cm². Find the diameter of the bigger sphere.
- A.
38 cm
- B.
42 cm
- C.
89 cm
- D.
138 cm
Attempted by 6 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept: The surface area of a sphere of radius r is S = 4πr2. When two spheres' radii differ, the difference of their surface areas factors using the difference-of-squares identity: R2 − r2 = (R − r)(R + r).
Applying to this problem:
Let the smaller sphere's radius be r, so the bigger sphere's radius is R = r + 16 (given “16 cm more”), i.e. R − r = 16.
The surface-area difference is 4π(R2 − r2) = 1408π, so R2 − r2 = 352.
Factor using the difference-of-squares identity: (R − r)(R + r) = 352.
Substitute R − r = 16: 16(R + r) = 352, so R + r = 22.
Now solve the pair R − r = 16 and R + r = 22 together — adding them eliminates r and gives 2R = 38, so R = 19 cm (and r = 3 cm).
The diameter of the bigger sphere is 2R = 38 cm.
Cross-check: With R = 19 cm and r = 3 cm, 4π(R2 − r2) = 4π(361 − 9) = 4π(352) = 1408π cm², which matches the given difference — confirming the diameter is 38 cm.