Question

sergio cuts a block of wood along the red line. when he looks at the newly exposed face, what is the shape of the cross - section?
a. a square, 2 inches by 2 inches
b. a rectangle, 4 inches by 2 inches
c. a rectangle, 4 inches by 3 inches
d. a rectangle, 2 inches by 3 inches

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the shape of the cross - section

When a block (a rectangular prism) is cut parallel to its length and width (assuming the standard orientation of the rectangular prism with length \(l = 4\) in, width \(w=2\) in and height \(h = 3\) in), the cross - section will have two sides. One side is equal to the length of the block and the other is equal to the width of the block.

Step2: Determine the dimensions of the cross - section

The length of the cross - section is \(4\) inches (same as the length of the block) and the width of the cross - section is \(2\) inches (same as the width of the block). A shape with four right angles and opposite sides equal is a rectangle.

Answer:

B. A rectangle, 4 inches by 2 inches