Answer:
The total number of cups in arranged in an hexagonal area = 19 cups
Step-by-step explanation:
The pack the most circles within an area, the arrangement with the densest packing is the hexagonal lattice structure similar to the bee's honeycomb as has been proved Gauss and Fejes Toth.
Therefore, we pack the circles in an hexagonal lattice structure in an assumed hexagonal area where we have;
The longest straight line is five cups the next on either side are four cups and the final line on either side has three cups
The total number of cups = 3 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 3 = 19 cups
The total number of cups = 19 cups.