ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : Geometry

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

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Example Questions

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

A rhombus has sidelength ten inches; one of its diagonals is one foot long. Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The length of the other diagonal

(B) One and one-half feet

Possible Answers:

(A) and (B) are equal

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

(B) is greater

(A) is greater

Correct answer:

(B) is greater

Explanation:

The diagonals of a rhombus are each other's perpendicular bisector, so, as can be seen in the diagram below, one side of a rhombus and one half of each diagonal form a right triangle. If the other diagonal has length , then the right triangle has hypotenuse 10 inches and legs one-half of one foot and  - that is, six inches and .

Rhombus_2

This triangle fits the well-known Pythagorean triple of 6-8-10, so

 

The other diagonal measures 16 inches. One and one-half feet is equal to 18 inches, making (B) greater.

 

Example Question #63 : Quadrilaterals

Rhombus  has two diagonals that intersect at point . Which is the greater quantity?

(a) 

(b) 

Possible Answers:

(b) is greater

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(a) is greater

(a) and (b) are equal

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal

Explanation:

The diagonals of a rhombus always intersect at right angles, so . The measures of the interior angles of the rhombus are irrelevant.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Area Of A Rectangle

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of the rectangle on the coordinate plane with vertices 

(b) The area of the rectangle on the coordinate plane with vertices 

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(b) is greater.

(a) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal.

Explanation:

(a) The first rectangle has width  and height ; its area is .

(b) The second rectangle has width  and height ; its area is .

The areas of the rectangle are the same.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Area Of A Rectangle

A rectangle on the coordinate plane has its vertices at the points .

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of the portion of the rectangle in Quadrant I

(b) The area of the portion of the rectangle in Quadrant III

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) and (b) are equal.

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal.

Explanation:

(a) The portion of the rectangle in Quadrant I is a rectangle with vertices , so its area is .

(a) The portion of the rectangle in Quadrant III is a rectangle with vertices , so its area is .

 

Example Question #2 : How To Find The Area Of A Rectangle

. Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of the square on the coordinate plane with vertices 

(b) The area of the rectangle on the coordinate plane with vertices 

Possible Answers:

(b) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) is greater.

Correct answer:

(a) is greater.

Explanation:

(a) The square has sidelength , and therefore has area .

(b) The rectangle has width  and height , and therefore has area .

Since , the square in (a) has the greater area.

Example Question #1 : Rectangles

The perimeter of a rectangle is one yard. The rectangle is three times as long as it is wide. Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of the rectangle

(b) 60 square inches

Possible Answers:

(b) is greater

(a) is greater

(a) and (b) are equal

It is impossible to tell form the information given

Correct answer:

(a) is greater

Explanation:

Let  be the width of the rectangle. Then its length is , and its perimeter is 

Since the perimeter is one yard, or 36 inches, 

 inches is the wiidth, and  inches is the length, so the area is 

 square inches. (a) is the greater quantity.

 

Example Question #3 : How To Find The Area Of A Rectangle

If one rectangular park measures  and another rectangular park measures , how many times greater is the area of the second park than the area of the first park?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

First, you must compute the area of both parks. The area of a rectangle is length times width. Therefore, the area of park one is , which is . The area of park two is , which is Then, divide the area of the second park by the area of the first park (). This yields 3 as the answer.

Example Question #6 : How To Find The Area Of A Rectangle

The sum of the lengths of three sides of a rectangle is 572 inches; the width of the rectangle is 60% of its length. Give its area in square inches.

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to determine the area from the given information.

Correct answer:

It is impossible to determine the area from the given information.

Explanation:

Since the width of the rectangle is 60% of its length, we can write .

However, it is not clear from the problem which three sides - two lengths and a width or two widths and a length - we are choosing to have sum 572 inches. Depending on the three sides chosen, we can either set up 

or

 

Since the length cannot be determined with certainty, neither can the width, and, subsequently, neither can the area.

Example Question #7 : How To Find The Area Of A Rectangle

Five rectangles each have the same length, which we will call . The widths of the five rectangles are 7, 5, 8, 10, and 12. Which of the following expressions is equal to the mean of their areas?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The area of a rectangle is the product of its width and its length. The areas of the five rectangles, therefore, are . The mean of these five areas is their sum divided by 5, or

Example Question #8 : How To Find The Area Of A Rectangle

Two rectangles, A and B, each have perimeter 32 feet. Rectangle A has length 12 feet; Rectangle B has length 10 feet. The area of Rectangle A is what percent of the area of Rectangle B? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The perimeter of a rectangle can be given by the formula

Since for both rectangles, 30 is the perimeter, this becomes 

, and subsequently

.

Rectangle A has length 12 feet and, subsequently. width 4 feet, making its area

 square feet

Rectangle B has length 10 feet and, subsequently. width 6 feet, making its area

 square feet

The area of Rectangle A is

of the area of Rectangle B.

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