An origami artist wants to cut squares from a hand painted sheet of pa...
Maximizing Square Size from a Sheet of Paper
When cutting squares from a sheet of paper, it is important to consider the dimensions of the paper and the desired size of the square. In this scenario, the origami artist has a sheet of paper that is 210 cm wide by 330 cm long and wants to cut squares of the same size to maximize the use of the paper.
Calculating the Maximum Square Size
To calculate the maximum square size that can be cut from the sheet of paper without wasting any material, we need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the width and length of the paper. The GCD represents the largest square that can be evenly divided into the dimensions of the paper.
- Width: 210 cm = 2 x 3 x 5 x 7
- Length: 330 cm = 2 x 3 x 5 x 11
The GCD of 210 and 330 is 30, which means that the largest square that can be cut from the paper without waste is 30 cm by 30 cm.
Explanation
If a square larger than 30 cm was cut from the paper, there would be some leftover material that could not be used for another square. For example, if a 40 cm by 40 cm square was cut from the paper, there would be a leftover strip of paper that is 10 cm wide and 330 cm long.
Cutting squares that are smaller than 30 cm would not be efficient, as there would still be unused material on the sheet. For example, if 20 cm by 20 cm squares were cut from the paper, there would be a lot of unused space on the sheet.
Conclusion
The maximum square size that can be cut from a 210 cm by 330 cm sheet of paper is 30 cm by 30 cm. By cutting squares of this size, the origami artist can maximize the use of the paper without any waste.