All ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Trapezoids
Which quantity is greater?
(a) The perimeter of the above trapezoid
(b) The perimeter of a rectangle with length and width and , respectively.
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
(a) is the greater quantity
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.
Example Question #2 : Trapezoids
Figure NOT drawn to scale.
In the above figure, is the midsegment of isosceles Trapezoid . Also, .
What is the perimeter of Trapezoid ?
The length of the midsegment of a trapezoid is half sum of the lengths of the bases, so
.
Also, by definition, since Trapezoid is isosceles, . The midsegment divides both legs of Trapezoid into congruent segments; combining these facts:
.
, so the perimeter of Trapezoid is
.
Example Question #3 : Trapezoids
In the above figure, is the midsegment of Trapezoid .
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) Twice the perimeter of Trapezoid
(b) The perimeter of Trapezoid
(a) is the greater quantity
(a) and (b) are equal
It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given
(b) is the greater quantity
(a) is the greater quantity
The midsegment of a trapezoid bisects both of its legs, so
and .
For reasons that will be apparent later, we will set
Also, the length of the midsegment is half sum of the lengths of the bases:
.
The perimeter of Trapezoid is
Twice this is
The perimeter of Trapezoid is
and , so , making (a) the greater quantity.
Example Question #1 : Trapezoids
Trapezoid A and Parallelogram B have the same height. Trapezoid A has bases 10 and 16; Parallelogram B has base 13. Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The area of Trapezoid A
(b) The area of Parallelogram B
(b) is greater.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(a) is greater.
(a) and (b) are equal.
(a) and (b) are equal.
Let be the common height of the figures.
(a) The area of Trapezoid A is .
(b) The area of Parallelogram B is
.
The figures have the same area.
Example Question #2 : Trapezoids
On Parallelogram , , locate point on such that ; locate point on such that . Draw .
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The area of Quadrilateral
(b) The area of Quadrilateral
It it impossible to tell from the information given
(b) is greater
(a) and (b) are equal
(a) is greater
(a) is greater
divides the parallelogram into two trapezoids, each of which has the same height as the original parallelogram, which we will call .
(a) The bases of Trapezoid are and .
(b) The bases of Trapezoid are and .
Opposite sides of a parallelogram are congruent, so since , also.
The sum of the bases of Trapezoid A is 21; the sum of those of Trapezoid B is 19. The two trapezoids have the same height. Thereforee, since the area is one-half times the height times the sum of the bases, Trapezoid A will have the greater area.
Example Question #2 : How To Find The Area Of A Trapezoid
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The area of a trapezoid with bases 75 centimeters and 85 centimeters and height one meter.
(b) The area of a parallelogram with base 8 decimeters and height one meter.
(b) is greater.
(a) and (b) are equal.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(a) is greater.
(a) and (b) are equal.
The easiet way to compare is to convert each measure to centimeters and calculate the areas in square centimeters. Both figures have height one meter, or 100 centimeters.
(a) Substitute into the formula for area:
'
square centimeters
(b) 8 decimeters is equal to 80 centimeters, so multiply this base by a height of 100 centimeters:
square centimeters
The figures have the same area.
Example Question #3 : How To Find The Area Of A Trapezoid
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The area of a trapezoid with bases feet and feet and height one yard.
(b) The area of a parallelogram with base feet and height one yard.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(a) and (b) are equal.
(b) is greater.
(a) is greater.
(a) is greater.
The easiest way to compare the areas might be to convert each of the dimensions to inches.
(a) The bases convert by multiplying the number of feet by twelve; the height is one yard, which is 36 inches.
inches
inches
Substitute into the formula for the area of a trapezoid, setting :
square inches
(b) The base of the parallelogram is
.
Multiply this by the height:
square inches
The trapezoid has greater area.
Example Question #5 : How To Find The Area Of A Trapezoid
Which quantity is greater?
(a) The area of the above trapezoid
(b) The area of a square with sides of length
(b) is the greater quantity
It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given
(a) is the greater quantity
(a) and (b) are equal
(b) is the greater quantity
The area of a trapezoid is half the product of its height, which here is , and the sum of the lengths of its bases, which here are and :
The area of a square is the square of the length of a side, which here is :
The square has the greater area.
Example Question #6 : How To Find The Area Of A Trapezoid
Which quantity is greater?
(a) The area of the above trapezoid
(b) The area of a square with diagonals of length
(a) is the greater quantity
(b) is the greater quantity
(a) and (b) are equal
It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given
(a) and (b) are equal
The area of a trapezoid is half the product of its height, which here is , and the sum of the lengths of its bases, which here are and :
The area of a square, it being a rhombus, is half the product of the lengths of its diagonals, both of which are here:
The trapezoid and the square have equal area.
Example Question #7 : How To Find The Area Of A Trapezoid
In the above figure, is the midsegment of Trapezoid . What percent of Trapezoid has been shaded in?
Midsegment divides Trapezoid into two trapezoids of the same height, which we will call ; the length of the midsegment is half sum of the lengths of the bases:
The area of a trapezoid is one half multiplied by its height multiplied by the sum of the lengths of its bases. Therefore, the area of Trapezoid - the shaded trapezoid - is
The area of Trapezoid is
The percent of Trapezoid that is shaded in is