Question

How many ice cubes can be accommodated in a container?
(I) The length and breadth of the container are 20 cm and 15 cm respectively.
(II) The edge of the ice cube is 2 cm.

• A. Statement I alone is sufficient to answer the question.
• B. Statement II alone is sufficient to answer the question.
• C. Both statement I and II together are necessary to answer the question.
• D. Both statements I and II together are not sufficient to answer the question.

Hint:

Check whether the container's height is given anywhere; without it, volume can't be found.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Identify what is needed.
To count how many small cubes of a known edge length fit inside a container, we need the full volume of the container (length, breadth AND height) and the volume of one ice cube.
Step 2: Check statement I alone.
Statement I gives only the length (20 cm) and breadth (15 cm) of the container. The height is missing, so the container's volume cannot be found, and we also have no cube size here. Statement I alone is not sufficient.
Step 3: Check statement II alone.
Statement II only gives the edge of the ice cube (2 cm), which gives the cube's volume as 2^3 = 8 cubic cm, but nothing about the container itself. Statement II alone is not sufficient.
Step 4: Check both statements together.
Combining both statements gives length = 20 cm, breadth = 15 cm and ice cube edge = 2 cm, but the height of the container is still never given anywhere. Without the height, the container's volume cannot be calculated even when both statements are combined, so the number of cubes that fit cannot be determined.
Step 5: Conclude.
Even together, statements I and II do not supply enough information, since the container's height is missing, so both statements together are still not sufficient. This matches option 4.