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.
Science NewsA 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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