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Math Puzzle Challenges Ant to Find Shortest Surface Paths on 3-D Shapes
A June 2026 math puzzle presents four problems involving an ant traveling across the surfaces of a cube, rectangular prism, cylinder, and cylindrical shell. Each problem asks for the shortest path length to reach food at an opposite corner or edge.
May 22, 8:00 AM·1m read1 source
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A math puzzle published in the June 2026 issue of Science News asks readers to calculate the shortest surface paths an ant must travel to reach food on four different three-dimensional objects. The first problem places the ant at one corner of a cube with side length of 1 meter and food at the opposite corner.
The second problem uses a rectangular prism measuring 3 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1 meter tall, with the ant and food again at opposite corners.
The third problem positions the ant on the edge of one circular face of a cylinder with 2-meter radius and 2-meter height. Food sits on the opposite circular face, positioned all the way around on the other side. The fourth problem involves a hollow cylindrical shell with outer radius of 2 meters, inner radius of 1 meter, and height of 2 meters.
The ant starts on the outer edge of one flat face while food is located on the opposite face at the far end. org/puzzle-answers. org.
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