ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : Right Triangles

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Right Triangles

Consider a triangle, , in which , and . Which is the greater number?

(a) The measure of  in degrees

(b) 

Possible Answers:

(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

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal

Explanation:

By the Converse of the Pythagorean Theorem, a triangle is right if and only if the sum of the squares of the lengths of the smallest two sides is equal to the square of the longest side. Compare the quantities  and 

, so  is right, with the right angle opposite longest side . Thus,  is right and has degree measure 90.

Example Question #61 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Quantitative Reasoning

The length of a side of a square is two-thirds the length of a leg of an isosceles right triangle. Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of the square

(b) The area of the triangle

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater

(a) and (b) are equal

(b) is greater

It is impossible to tell from the information given

Correct answer:

(b) is greater

Explanation:

Let  be the length of a leg of the right triangle. Then the sidelength of the square is  .

(a) The square has area 

(b) The isosceles right triangle has base and height  area 

, so (b) is greater.

Example Question #65 : Geometry

Two triangles are on the coordinate plane. Each has a vertex at the origin.

Triangle A has its other two vertices at  and .

Triangle B has its other two vertices at   and .

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of Triangle A

(b) The area of Triangle B

Possible Answers:

(b) is greater

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(a) and (b) are equal

(a) is greater

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal

Explanation:

Each triangle is a right triangle with legs along the - and -axes, so the area of each can be calculated by taking one-half the product of the two legs. 

(a) The horizontal and vertical legs have measures 18 and , respectively, so the triangle has area .

(b) The horizontal and vertical legs have measures  and 9, respectively, so the triangle has area .

The areas are equal.

Example Question #66 : Geometry

Construct rectangle , and locate midpoint  of side . Now construct segment .

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of Quadrilateral 

(b) Three times the area of 

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(a) and (b) are equal

(b) is greater

(a) is greater

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal

Explanation:

 is a right triangle with right angle , so its legs measure  and ; its area is . Since  is the midpoint of , making the area of the triangle

Rectangle  has area 

Quadrilateral ,  which is the portion of  not in , has as its area

Therefore, the area of Quadrilateral  is three times that of , making (a) and (b) equal.

Example Question #67 : Geometry

Construct rectangle . Let  and  be the midpoints of  and , respectively, and draw the segments  and . Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of 

(b)  The area of 

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(b) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

(a) is greater.

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal.

Explanation:

Each triangle is a right triangle, and each has its two legs as its base and height.

(a)  is the midpoint of , so .

The area of  is .

(b)  is the midpoint of , so .

 The area of  is

.

The triangles have equal area.

Example Question #68 : Geometry

The length of a side of a square is one-half the length of the hypotenuse of a  triangle. Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of the square

(b) The area of the triangle

Possible Answers:

(a) and (b) are equal.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

Correct answer:

(a) is greater.

Explanation:

(a) Let  be the sidelength of the square. Then its area is .

(b) In a  triangle, the shorter leg is one-half as long as the hypotenuse. The hypotenuse has length , so the shorter leg has length . The longer leg is  times as long as the shorter leg, so the longer leg will have length . The area of the triangle is

.

, so ;  the square has the greater area.

Example Question #69 : Geometry

Right_triangle

Give the area of the above right triangle in terms of .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The area of a triangle is half the product of its base and its height; for a right triangle, the legs, which are perpendicular, serve as base and height.

Example Question #70 : Geometry

Triangle

Square

Note: Figures NOT drawn to scale.

Refer to the above figures - a right triangle and a square. The area of the triangle is what percent of the area of the square?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The area of the triangle is 

 square inches.

 

The sidelength of the square is  inches, so the area of the square is 

.

 

The question becomes "what percent of 576 is 270", which is answered as follows:

The correct answer is .

Example Question #71 : Geometry

The lengths of the hypotenuses of ten similar right triangles form an arithmetic sequence. The smallest triangle has legs of lengths 5 and 12 inches; the second-smallest triangle has a hypotenuse of length one and one half feet. 

Which of the following responses comes closest to the area of the largest triangle?

Possible Answers:

3 square feet

5 square feet

7 square feet

4 square feet

6 square feet

Correct answer:

4 square feet

Explanation:

The hypotenuse of the smallest triangle can be calculated using the Pythagorean Theorem:

 inches.

Let  be the lengths of the hypotenuses of the triangles in inches.  and , so their common difference is

The arithmetic sequence formula is 

The length of the hypotenuse of the largest triangle - the tenth triangle - can be found by substituting :

 inches. 

The largest triangle has hypotenuse of length 58 inches. Since the triangles are similar, corresponding sides are in proportion. If we let  and  be the lengths of the legs of the largest triangle, then

 

 

Similarly,

 

 

The area of a right triangle is half the product of its legs:

 square inches.

Divide this by 144 to convert to square feet:

Of the given responses, 4 square feet is the closest, and is the correct choice.

 

Example Question #71 : Triangles

In Square  is the midpoint of  is the midpoint of , and  is the midpoint of . Draw the segments  and .

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The area of

(b) The area of  

Possible Answers:

It cannot be determined which of (a) and (b) is greater

(b) is the greater quantity

(a) and (b) are equal

(a) is the greater quantity

Correct answer:

(a) and (b) are equal

Explanation:

The figure referenced is below:
Square x

Let  be the common sidelength of Square .

Then .

The area of right triangle  is half the product of its legs, so 

 

, so 

The area of right triangle  is half the product of its legs, so 

 

 and  have the same area.

 

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