4. Kyle’s uncle runs a golf driving range and asks Kyle if he’d like to have
   used golf balls for free to sell online. Kyle enthusiastically says yes.
   The uncle asks how many so his workers can get the balls ready for
   pickup. Kyle’s Toyota Camry has 15.1 cubic feet. Kyle searches the
   web and learns a golf ball’s diameter is 1.68 inches. Assuming a golf
   ball is a cube with length, width, and height each 1.68 inches, how
   many will fit?
   770
   5,500

Did you know that the golf ball, despite its spherical shape, is often approximated as a cube for simple calculations? This initial assumption makes it easier to understand volume calculations, but it’s important to note that when it comes to actual packing, spheres have unique challenges due to gaps between them. So, while Kyle’s uncle might get a good number of golf balls in there, they won’t perfectly fill the space!

When Kyle is calculating how many golf balls fit in his Camry, he should consider both the cubic volume of the trunk and the arrangement of spheres. Using the formula for the volume of a cube is a good start, but to maximize capacity, he should learn about packing efficiency. In real life, packed spheres like golf balls only achieve roughly 74% efficiency in terms of space usage. So while the math looks straightforward, a little more thought goes into how they actually fit!