# Difference between revisions of "1996 AHSME Problems/Problem 23"

## Problem

The sum of the lengths of the twelve edges of a rectangular box is $140$, and the distance from one corner of the box to the farthest corner is $21$. The total surface area of the box is

$\text{(A)}\ 776\qquad\text{(B)}\ 784\qquad\text{(C)}\ 798\qquad\text{(D)}\ 800\qquad\text{(E)}\ 812$

## Solution

Let $x$, $y$, and $z$ be the unique lengths of the edges of the box. Each box has $4$ edges of each length, so:

$4x + 4y + 4z = 140$

$x + y + z = 35$

The spacial diagonal (longest distance) is given by $\sqrt{x^2 + y^2 + z^2}$. Thus, we have:

$\sqrt{x^2 + y^2 + z^2} = 21$

$x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 21^2$

Our target expression is the surface area of the box:

$S = 2xy + 2xz + 2yz$

Since $S$ is a symmetric polynomial of degree $2$, we try squaring the first equation to get:

$(x + y + z)^2 = 35^2$

$x^2 + y^2 + z^2 + 2xy +2yz + 2xz = 35^2$

Substituting in our long diagonal and surface area expressions, we get:

$21^2 + S = 35^2$

$S = (35 + 21)(35 - 21)$

$S = 56\cdot 14$

$S = 784$, which is option $\boxed{B}$