ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : Geometry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Upper Level Quantitative

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Example Questions

Example Question #231 : Geometry

On the coordinate plane, Square A has as one side a segment with its endpoints at the origin and at the point with coordinates . Square B has as one side a segment with its endpoints at the origin and at the point with coordinates  and  are both positive numbers and . Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of Square A

(b) The area of Square B

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

(b) is the greater quantity

(a) and (b) are equal

(a) is the greater quantity

Correct answer:

(b) is the greater quantity

Explanation:

The length of a segment with endpoints  and  can be found using the distance formula with :

This is the length of one side of Square A; the area of the square is the square of this, or .

 

By similar reasoning, the length of a segment with endpoints  and  is

and the area of Square B is 

.

 

Since , and both are positive, it follows that 

 

Square B has the greater area.

 

 

Example Question #232 : Geometry

On the coordinate plane, Square A has as one side a segment with its endpoints at the origin and at the point with coordinates . Square B has as one side a segment with its endpoints at the origin and at the point with coordinates  and  are both positive numbers. Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of Square A

(b) The area of Square B

Possible Answers:

(a) is the greater quantity

(a) and (b) are equal

(b) is the greater quantity

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

Correct answer:

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

Explanation:

It can be proved that the given information is insufficient to answer the question by looking at two cases.

 

Case 1: 

Square A has as a side a segment with endpoints at  and , the length of which can be found using the distance formula with :

This is the length of one side of Square A; the area of the square is the square of this, or 52.

Square B has as a side a segment with endpoints at  and , the length of which can be found the same way:

This is the length of one side of Square B; the area of the square is the square of this, or 50. This makes Square A the greater in area.

 

Case 2: 

Square A has as a side a segment with endpoints at  and ; this was found earlier to be a square of area 50.

Square B has as a side a segment with endpoints at  and , the length of which can be found using the distance formula with :

This is the length of one side of Square B; the area of the square is the square of this, or 52. This makes Square B the greater in area.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Length Of The Diagonal Of A Square

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The length of a diagonal of a square with sidelength 10 inches

(b) The hypotenuse of an isosceles right triangle with legs 10 inches each

Possible Answers:

(a) and (b) are equal.

It is impossible to tell which is greater from the information given.

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal.

Explanation:

A diagonal of a square cuts the square into two isosceles right triangles, of which the diagonal is the common hypotenuse. Therefore, each figure is the hypotenuse of an isosceles right triangle with legs 10 inches, making them equal in length.

Example Question #2 : How To Find The Length Of The Diagonal Of A Square

Track

The track at Peter Stuyvesant High School is a perfect square, as seen above, with sides of length 600 feet and a diagonal connecting two of the corners. 

Les begins at Point A, takes the diagonal path directly to Point B, then runs counterclockwise around the square track twice. He then takes the diagonal from Point B back to Point A. Which of the following is closest to the distance he runs?

A hint: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The diagonal of a square has length , or about 1.414, times the length of a side, which here is 600 feet; this makes the diagonal path about

 feet long.

Les runs around the square track twice, meaning that he runs the length of one side eight times; he also runs the length of the diagonal twice, This is a total of about

 feet.

Divide by 5,280 to convert to miles:

Of the given responses,  miles comes closest to the correct distance.

Example Question #3 : How To Find The Length Of The Diagonal Of A Square

Track

The track at Franklin Pierce High School is a perfect square, as seen above, with sides of length 700 feet and a diagonal path connecting Points A and C. 

Ellen wants to run three miles. Her plan is to begin at Point A, run along the diagonal path, run clockwise around the square track once, run along the diagonal path, run clockwise around the square track once, then repeat this pattern until she has run three miles. Where will she be when she is done?

A hint: 

Possible Answers:

On the square path between Point C and Point D

On the diagonal path between Point A and Point C

On the square path between Point A and Point B

On the square path between Point B and Point C

On the square path between Point D and Point A

Correct answer:

On the diagonal path between Point A and Point C

Explanation:

The diagonal of a square has length , or about 1.414, times the length of a side, which here is 700 feet; this makes the diagonal path about

 feet long.

We will call one complete circuit one running of the diagonal, which is 990 feet long, and one running around the square; the completion of one complete circuit amounts to running a distance of 

 feet.

Ellen seeks to run three miles, or 

 feet, which, divided by 3,790 feet, is about:

,

or four complete circuits and 0.17 of a fifth.

After four complete circuits, Ellen is backat Point A. She has yet to run

 feet. 

She will now run along the diagonal from Point A to Point C, but since the diagonal has length 990 feet, which is greater than 629 feet, she will finish running three miles when she is on this diagonal path.

Example Question #4 : How To Find The Length Of The Diagonal Of A Square

Track

The track at Grant High School is a perfect square, as seen above, with sides of length 600 feet and a diagonal path connecting two of the corners.

Kenny begins at Point A, runs the path to Point C, and proceeds to run counterclockwise around the square track one complete time. He then runs again along the diagonal path from Point C to Point A.

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The length of Kenny's run

(b) One mile

A hint: 

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell which is greater from the information given

(b) is greater

(a) and (b) are equal

(a) is greater

Correct answer:

(b) is greater

Explanation:

The diagonal of a square has length , or about 1.414, times the length of a side, which here is 600 feet; this makes the diagonal path about

 feet long.

Kenny runs along this path twice, and he runs along the entire perimeter of the square path, so his run is about

 feet. Since one mile is equal to 5,280 feet, the greater quantity is (b).

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Length Of The Side Of A Square

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The sidelength of a square with area 400 square inches.

(b) The sidelength of a square with perimeter 80 inches.

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater 

(b) is greater 

It is impossible to tell which is greater from the information given

(a) and (b) are equal

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal

Explanation:

The sidelength of a square is the square root of its area and one-fourth of its perimeter, so:

(a) A square with area 400 square inches has sidelength  inches.

(b) A square with perimeter 80 inches has sidelength  inches.

The two quantities are equal.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Length Of The Side Of A Square

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The sidelength of a square with area  square inches.

(b) The sidelength of a square with perimeter  inches.

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

It is impossible to tell which is greater from the information given.

(a) and (b) are equal.

Correct answer:

(a) is greater.

Explanation:

The sidelength of a square is the square root of its area and one-fourth of its perimeter, so:

(a) A square with area  square inches has sidelength  inches.

(b) A square with perimeter  inches has sidelength  inches.

(a) is the greater quantity.

Example Question #2 : How To Find The Length Of The Side Of A Square

The perimeter of a square is . Give the length of each side in terms of .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Divide the perimeter of a square by 4 to get its sidelength:

Example Question #1 : Trapezoids

Trapezoid

Which quantity is greater?

(a) The perimeter of the above trapezoid

(b) The perimeter of a rectangle with length and width  and , respectively.

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

(a) and (b) are equal

(b) is the greater quantity

(a) is the greater quantity

Correct answer:

(a) is the greater quantity

Explanation:

The perimeter of a rectangle is twice the sum of its length and its width:

Since the height of the trapezoid in the figure is , both of its legs must have length greater than or equal to . But for a leg to be of length, it must be perpendicular to the bases. Since perpendicularity of both legs would make the trapezoid a rectangle - which it cannot be - it follows that both legs cannot be of length . Therefore, the perimeter of the trapezoid is:

The perimeter of the trapezoid must be greater than that of the rectangle.

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