A right pyramid has a square base with area 288 square cm. Its peak is 18 cm from each of the other vertices. What is the volume of the pyramid, in cubic centimeters?
The diagonal across the base = sqrt ( base area) * sqrt 2 = sqrt (288) * sqrt 2 = 12 sqrt 2* sqrt 2 = 24
1/ 2 of this = 12
18 is the slant height
The true height , h = sqrt [18^2 -12^2 ] = sqrt [ 324 - 144 ] = sqrt 180 = 6sqrt 5
The volume is
base area * height / 3 =
288 * 6 sqrt 5 / 3 =
288 * 3sqrt 5 cm^3 ≈ 1932 cm^3