PSAT Math : Other Polygons

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Math

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Other Polygons

A square has an area of 36 cm2. A circle is inscribed and cut out. What is the area of the remaining shape? Use 3.14 to approximate π.

Possible Answers:

15.48 cm2

3.69 cm2

28.26 cm2

7.74 cm2

12.14 cm2

Correct answer:

7.74 cm2

Explanation:

We need to find the area of both the square and the circle and then subtract the two.  Inscribed means draw within a figure so as to touch in as many places as possible.  So the circle is drawn inside the square.  The opposite is circumscribed, meaning drawn outside.

Asquare = s2 = 36 cm2 so the side is 6 cm

6 cm is also the diameter of the circle and thus the radius is 3 cm

A circle = πr2 = 3.14 * 32 = 28.28 cm2

The resulting difference is 7.74 cm2

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

Gre10

In the square above, the radius of each half-circle is 6 inches. What is the area of the shaded region?

Possible Answers:

144 – 36π

144 – 6π

36 – 9π

144 – 9π

36 – 6π

Correct answer:

144 – 36π

Explanation:

We can find the area of the shaded region by subtracting the area of the semicircles, which is much easier to find. Two semi-circles are equivalent to one full circle. Thus we can just use the area formula, where r = 6:

π(62) → 36π

Now we must subtract the area of the semi-circles from the total area of the square. Since we know that the radius also covers half of a side, 6(2) = 12 is the full length of a side of the square. Squaring this, 122 = 144. Subtracting the area of the circles, we get our final terms,

= 144 – 36π

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

If square A has a side of length 5 inches, how many times bigger is the area of square B if it has a side of length 25 inches? 

Possible Answers:

625 times

4 times

25 times

5 times

2 times

Correct answer:

25 times

Explanation:

First find the area of both squares using the formula \displaystyle A=s^2.

For square A, s = 5.

\displaystyle A_A=5^2=25

For square B, s = 25.

\displaystyle A_B=25^2=625

The question is asking for the ratio of these two areas, which will tell us how many times bigger square B is. Divide the area of square B by the area of square A to find the answer.

\displaystyle \frac{A_B}{A_A}=\frac{625}{25}=25

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

Sat_math_picture3

If Bailey paints the wall shaped like above and uses one bucket per 5 square units, how many buckets does Bailey need?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 12

\displaystyle 8

\displaystyle 10

\displaystyle 15

\displaystyle 16

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 12

Explanation:

To solve, we will need to find the area of the wall. We can do this by finding the areas of each section and adding them together. Break the area into a rectange and two triangles.

Sat_math_picture3

The area of the rectangle will be equal to the base times the height. The area of each triangle will be one half its given base times its height.

\displaystyle A_{rec}=bh

\displaystyle A_{tri}=\frac{1}{2}bh

For the rectangle, the base is 12 and the height is 4 (both given in the figure).

\displaystyle A_{rec}=(12)(4)=48

The triangle to the right has a given base of 6, but we need to solve for its height. The height will be equal to the difference between the total height (6) and the height of the rectangle (4).

\displaystyle h_{tri}=6-4=2

We now have the base and height of the triangle to the right, allowing us to calculate its area.

\displaystyle A_{tri_r}=\frac{1}{2}(6)(2)=6

Now we need to solve the triangle to the left. We solved for its height (2), but we still need to solve for its base. The total base of the rectangle is 12. Subtract the base of the right-side triangle (6) and the small segment at the top of the rectangle (3) from this total length to solve for the base of the left triangle.

\displaystyle 12-6-3=3

The left-side triangle has a base of 3 and a height of 2, allowing us to calculate its area.

\displaystyle A_{tri_l}=\frac{1}{2}(3)(2)=3

Add together the two triangles and the rectangle to find the total area.

\displaystyle A=48+6+3=57

We know that each bucket of paint will cover 5 square units, and we have 57 square units total. Divide to find how many buckets are required.

\displaystyle \frac{57}{5}=11.4

We will need 11 full buckets and part of a twelfth bucket to cover the wall, meaning that we will need 12 buckets total.

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

A square is inscribed within a circle with a radius \small 3\sqrt{2}\displaystyle \small 3\sqrt{2}. Find the area of the circle that is not covered by the square.

Possible Answers:

\small 9\pi-6\displaystyle \small 9\pi-6

\small 18\pi-36\displaystyle \small 18\pi-36

\small 9\pi-36\displaystyle \small 9\pi-36

\small 18\pi-6\displaystyle \small 18\pi-6

\displaystyle 9\pi-3\sqrt{2}

Correct answer:

\small 18\pi-36\displaystyle \small 18\pi-36

Explanation:

First, find the area of the circle.

\displaystyle A=\pi(3\sqrt{2})^2

\small A=18\pi\displaystyle \small A=18\pi

Next, find the length of 1 side of the square using the Pythagorean Theorem. Two radii from the center of the circle to adjacent corners of the square will create a right angle at the center of the circle. The radii will be the legs of the triangle and the side of the square will be the hypotenuse.

\small (3\sqrt{2})^2 +(3\sqrt{2})^2 =c^2\displaystyle \small (3\sqrt{2})^2 +(3\sqrt{2})^2 =c^2

\small 18+18=36=c^2\displaystyle \small 18+18=36=c^2

\small c=6\displaystyle \small c=6

Find the area of the square.

\small A=c^2=6^2=36\displaystyle \small A=c^2=6^2=36

Subtract the area of the square from the area of the circle.

\small 18\pi-36\displaystyle \small 18\pi-36

Example Question #4 : How To Find The Area Of A Polygon

Thingy

Refer to the above figure. Quadrilateral \displaystyle BCDE is a square. Give the area of Polygon \displaystyle ABCDE in terms of \displaystyle x.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 5x^{2}

\displaystyle \left ( 2+ \sqrt{5}\right )x^{2}

\displaystyle \left ( 1+ \sqrt{5}\right )x^{2}

\displaystyle 6x^{2}

\displaystyle 7x^{2}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 6x^{2}

Explanation:

\displaystyle \overline{BE } is both one side of Square \displaystyle BCDE and the hypotenuse of \displaystyle \Delta ABE;  its hypotenuse can be calculated from the lengths of the legs using the Pythagorean Theorem:

\displaystyle BE = \sqrt{(AB)^{2}+ \left ( AE\right )^{2}}

\displaystyle BE = \sqrt{x^{2}+ \left ( 2x\right )^{2}} = \sqrt{x^{2}+ 4x ^{2}} = \sqrt{5x ^{2}} = x\sqrt{5}

Polygon \displaystyle ABCDE is the composite of \displaystyle \Delta ABE and Square \displaystyle BCDE, so its area is the sum of those of the two figures. 

The area of \displaystyle \Delta ABE is half the product of its legs:

\displaystyle A= \frac{1}{2} \cdot x \cdot 2x = x^{2}

The area of  Square \displaystyle BCDE is the square of the length of a side:

\displaystyle A = \left ( x\sqrt{5} \right )^{2} = 5x^{2}

Add the areas:

\displaystyle x^{2}+ 5x^{2} = 6x^{2}

This is the area of the polygon.

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

Stuff_1

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale.

The above figure shows Rectangle \displaystyle RCAN\displaystyle T is the midpoint of \displaystyle \overline{CA}\displaystyle EC = 2 \cdot RE\displaystyle RC = 2 \cdot RN.

What percent of Rectangle \displaystyle RCAN is shaded?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 80 \%

\displaystyle 66 \frac{2}{3} \%

\displaystyle 75 \%

\displaystyle 60 \%

\displaystyle 72 \%

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 66 \frac{2}{3} \%

Explanation:

The area of  \displaystyle ETAN, the shaded region in question, is that of the rectangle minus those of \displaystyle \Delta ERN and \displaystyle \Delta ECT. We look at both.

The answer is independent of the sidelengths of the rectangle, so to ease calculations - this will become more apparent later - we will arbitrarily assign to the rectangle the dimensions

\displaystyle RN = CA = 6

and, subsequently,

\displaystyle RC = NA = 12

and, since \displaystyle T is the midpoint of \displaystyle \overline{CA},

\displaystyle CT = 3.

 

The area of Rectangle \displaystyle RCAN is equal to \displaystyle RN \cdot RC = 6 \cdot 12 = 72.

 

 Since \displaystyle EC = 2 \cdot RE, and \displaystyle RE + EC = RC,

\displaystyle RE + 2 (RE)= 12

\displaystyle 3 (RE)= 12

\displaystyle RE = 4 and \displaystyle EC = 8

The area of \displaystyle \Delta ERN is equal to \displaystyle \frac{1}{2}(RE)(RN)= \frac{1}{2} \cdot 4 \cdot 6 = 12.

The area of \displaystyle \Delta ECT is equal to \displaystyle \frac{1}{2}(EC)(CT)= \frac{1}{2} \cdot 8 \cdot 3 = 12

The area of the shaded region is therefore \displaystyle 72-12-12 = 48, which is

\displaystyle \frac{48}{72} \times 100 \% = 66 \frac{2}{3} \% of the rectangle.

Example Question #1 : Other Polygons

A regular polygon has a measure of \displaystyle 140^\circ for each of its internal angles.  How many sides does it have?

 

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 7

\displaystyle 8

\displaystyle 6

\displaystyle 9

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 9

Explanation:

To determine the measure of the angles of a regular polygon use:

Angle = (n – 2) x 180° / n

Thus, (n – 2) x 180° / n = 140°

180° n - 360° = 140° n

40° n = 360°

n = 360° / 40° = 9

Example Question #2 : Other Polygons

A regular seven sided polygon has a side length of 14”.  What is the measurement of one of the interior angles of the polygon?

Possible Answers:

257.14 degrees

252 degrees

128.57 degrees

180 degrees

154.28 degrees

Correct answer:

128.57 degrees

Explanation:

The formula for of interior angles based on a polygon with a number of side n is:

Each Interior  Angle = (n-2)*180/n

= (7-2)*180/7 = 128.57 degrees

Example Question #1 : Other Polygons

If angle A and angle C are complementary angles and B and D are supplementary angles, which of the following must be true?

Possible Answers:

A/D < B/C

None of the answers.

A * C > B * D

AD = BC

Correct answer:

None of the answers.

Explanation:

This question is very misleading, because while each answer COULD be true, none of them MUST be true. Between angle A and C, onne of the angles could be very small (0.001 degrees) and the other one could be very large. For instance, if A = 89.9999 and C = 0.0001, AC = 0.009. On the other hand, the two angles could be very siimilar. If B = 90 and D = 90 then BD = 8100 and BD > AC. If we use these same values we disprove AD = BC as 8100 ≠ .009. Finally, if B is a very small value, then B/C will be very small and smaller than A/D.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors