GMAT Math : Problem-Solving Questions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Polygons

What is the area of a regular octagon with sidelength 10?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The area of a regular polygon is equal to one-half the product of its apothem - the perpendicular distance from the center to a side - and its perimeter. 

The perimeter of the octagon is 

From the diagram below, the apothem of the octagon is 

Octagon

 

 is one half of the sidelength, or 5.  can be seen to be the length of a leg of a  triangle with hypotenuse 10, or

This makes the apothem 

The area is therefore 

Example Question #2 : Calculating The Area Of A Polygon

What is the area of a regular hexagon with sidelength 10?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

A regular hexagon can be seen as a composite of six equilateral triangles, each of whose sidelength is the sidelength of the hexagon:

 

Hexagon 

Each of the triangles has area

Substitute  to get 

Multiply this by 6: , the area of the hexagon.

Example Question #452 : Geometry

What is the area of the figure with vertices  ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

This figure can be seen as a composite of two simple shapes: the rectangle with vertices , and the triangle with vertices .

The rectangle has length  and height , so its area is the product of these dimensions, or .

The triangle has as its base the length of the horizontal segment connecting  and , which is ; its height is the vertical distance from the other vertex to this segment, which is . The area of this triangle is half the product of the base and the height, which is .

Add the areas of the rectangle and the triangle to get the total area:

Example Question #1 : Calculating The Area Of A Polygon

Figure

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale

What is the area of the above figure?

Assume all angles shown in the figure are right angles.

Possible Answers:

Not enough information is given to answer the question.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

This figure can be seen as a smaller rectangle cut out of a larger one; refer to the diagram below.

Figure

We can fill in the missing sidelengths using the fact that a rectangle has congruent opposite sides. Once this is done, we can multiply length times height of both rectangles to get the area of each, and subtract areas:

 square feet

Example Question #1 : Calculating The Area Of A Polygon

The following picture represents a garden with a wall built around it. The garden is represented by , the gray area,; and the wall is represented by the white area.

 and  are both squares and the area of the garden is equal to the area of the wall.

The length of  is .

Polygon2

Find the area of the wall.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

AB's length is 7 so the area of ABCD is:

.

The garden area (EFGH) is equal to the wall area .

So

,

therefore 

.

Example Question #1 : Calculating An Angle In A Polygon

You are given Pentagon  such that:

 

and

 

 

Calculate 

Possible Answers:

This pentagon cannot exist

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Let  be the common measure of , and 

Then 

The sum of the measures of the angles of a pentagon is  degrees; this translates to the equation

or 

Example Question #2 : Calculating An Angle In A Polygon

Polygons_1

The above diagram shows a regular pentagon and a regular hexagon sharing a side. Give .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

This can more easily be explained if the shared side is extended in one direction, and the new angles labeled.

Polygons_2

 and  are exterior angles of the regular polygons. Also, the measures of the exterior angles of any polygon, one at each vertex, total . Therefore, 

 

Add the measures of the angles to get :

Example Question #21 : Polygons

Which of the following cannot be the measure of an exterior angle of a regular polygon?

Possible Answers:

Each of the given choices can be the measure of an exterior angle of a regular polygon.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The sum of the measures of the exterior angles of any polygon, one per vertex, is . In a regular polygon of  sides , then all  of these exterior angles are congruent, each measuring .

If  is the measure of one of these angles, then , or, equivalently, . Therefore, for  to be a possible measure of an exterior angle, it must divide evenly into 360. We divide each in turn:

Since 16 is the only one of the choices that does not divide evenly into 360, it cannot be the measure of an exterior angle of a regular polygon.

Example Question #691 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

Pentagon_and_square

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale

The figure above shows a square inside a regular pentagon. Give .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Each angle of a square measures ; each angle of a regular pentagon measures . To get , subtract:

.

Example Question #1 : Calculating An Angle In A Polygon

Hexagon

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale.

Given:

Evaluate .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Call  the measure of 

, and 

so 

 

The sum of the measures of the angles of a hexagon is , so 

 

, which is the measure of .

Tired of practice problems?

Try live online GMAT prep today.

1-on-1 Tutoring
Live Online Class
1-on-1 + Class
Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors