GMAT Math : Polygons

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #431 : Geometry

What is the perimeter of a hexagon?

1) Each side measures 10 cm

2) The hexagon is regular.

Possible Answers:

Statements 1 and 2 TOGETHER are not sufficient.

EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient, but Statement 2 alone is not sufficient.

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient, but Statement 1 alone is not sufficient.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but neither statement ALONE is sufficient.

Correct answer:

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient, but Statement 2 alone is not sufficient.

Explanation:

The perimeter is the sum of the measures of the sidelengths.

Knowing that the hexagon is regular only tells you the six sides are congruent; without the measure of any side, this does not help you. 

Knowing only that each of the six sides measures 10 cm is by itself enough to calculate the perimeter to be

\displaystyle 6\times 10=60\ cm.

The answer is that Statement 1 is sufficient, but not Statement 2.

Example Question #671 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

Figure

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale

What is the perimeter of the above figure?

Assume all angles shown in the figure are right angles.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 70\textrm{ ft}

\displaystyle 98\textrm{ ft}

\displaystyle 35\textrm{ ft}

\displaystyle 43\textrm{ ft}

Not enough information is given to answer the question.

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 70\textrm{ ft}

Explanation:

This figure can be seen as a smaller rectangle cut out of a larger one; refer to the diagram below.

Figure

We can fill in the missing sidelengths using the fact that a rectangle has congruent opposite sides. Once this is done, we can add the lengths of the sides to get the perimeter:

\displaystyle P = 10 + 3 + 15 + 7 + 25 + 10 = 70 feet.

Example Question #2 : Calculating The Perimeter Of A Polygon

What is the perimeter of a rectangle with a length of \displaystyle 20cm and a width of \displaystyle 5cm?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 40cm

\displaystyle 50cm

\displaystyle 25cm^{2}

\displaystyle 25cm

\displaystyle 50cm^{2}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 50cm

Explanation:

The perimeter \displaystyle P of any figure is the sum of the lengths of its sides. Since we have a rectangle with a length of \displaystyle 20cm and a width of \displaystyle 5cm, we know that there will be two sides of length \displaystyle 20cm and two sides of width \displaystyle 5cm. Therefore:

\displaystyle P=20cm+20cm+5cm+5cm

\displaystyle P=40cm+10cm

\displaystyle P=50cm

Example Question #4 : Polygons

What is the perimeter of a right triangle with a base of \displaystyle 5cm and a height of \displaystyle 12cm?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 30cm

\displaystyle 17cm

Not enough information provided

\displaystyle 13cm

\displaystyle 60cm

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 30cm

Explanation:

In order to find the perimeter \displaystyle P of the right triangle, we need to know the lengths of each of its sides. While we are given two sides - the base \displaystyle (a) and the height \displaystyle (b) - we do not know the hypotenuse \displaystyle (c). There are two ways that we can find \displaystyle c, the first of which is the direct application of the Pythagorean Theorem: 

\displaystyle a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}

\displaystyle 5^{2}+12^{2}=c^{2}

\displaystyle 25+144=c^{2}

\displaystyle 13=c

We could have also noted that \displaystyle 5:12:13 is a common Pythagorean Triple and deduced the value of \displaystyle c that way.

Now that we have all three side lengths, we can calculate \displaystyle P:

\displaystyle P=5cm+12cm+13cm

\displaystyle P=30cm

 

 

 

Example Question #5 : Polygons

What is the perimeter of an octagon with equal side lengths of \displaystyle 15cm each?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 105cm

\displaystyle 120cm

\displaystyle 90cm

\displaystyle 60cm

\displaystyle 45cm

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 120cm

Explanation:

Starting with the knowledge that we are dealing with an octagon, an 8-sided figure, we calculate the perimeter \displaystyle P by adding the lengths of all 8 sides. Since we also know that each side measures \displaystyle 15cm, we can use multiplication:

\displaystyle P=8\times15cm

\displaystyle P=120cm

 

 

Example Question #1 : Polygons

 is a pentagon with two sets of congruent sides and one side that is longer than all the others.

The smallest pair of congruent sides are 5 inches long each.

The other two congruent sides are 1.5 times bigger than the smallest sides.

The last side is twice the length of the smallest sides.

What is the perimeter of ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

A pentagon is a 5 sided shape. We are given that two sides are 5 inches each.

Side 1 = 5inches

Side 2 = 5 inches

The next two sides are each 1.5 times bigger than the smallest two sides.

\displaystyle \small 5*1.5=7.5

Side 3 =Side 4= 7.5 inches

The last side is twice the size of the smallest side, 

Side 5 =10 inches

Add them all up for our perimeter:

5+5+7.5+7.5+10=35 inches long

Example Question #2 : Calculating The Perimeter Of A Polygon

One side of a regular dodecagon has a length of \displaystyle 7.  What is the perimeter of the polygon?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 120

\displaystyle 60

\displaystyle 77

\displaystyle 70

\displaystyle 84

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 84

Explanation:

A regular dodecagon is a polygon with twelve sides of equal length, so if one side has a length of \displaystyle 7, then the perimeter will be equal to twelve times the length of that one side. This gives us:

\displaystyle P=12(7)=84

Example Question #1 : Calculating The Length Of A Diagonal Of A Polygon

Hexagon_44

The hexagon in the above diagram is regular. If \displaystyle \overline{AB} has length 12, which of the following expressions is equal to the length of \displaystyle \overline{AD} ?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 12\sqrt{3}

\displaystyle 24

\displaystyle 24\sqrt{2}

\displaystyle 12\sqrt{2}

\displaystyle 12\sqrt{6}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 24

Explanation:

\displaystyle \overline{AD} is a diameter of the regular hexagon. Examine the diagram below, which shows the hexagon with all three diameters:

Hexagon_44

Each interior angle of a hexagon measures \displaystyle 120^{\circ }, so, by symmetry, each base angle of the triangle formed is \displaystyle 60^{\circ }; also, each central angle measures one sixth of \displaystyle 360^{\circ}, or \displaystyle 60^{\circ }. Each triangle is equilateral, so if \displaystyle AB = 12, it follows that \displaystyle AO = OD = 12, and \displaystyle AD = AO+OD = 12 + 12 = 24.

Example Question #9 : Polygons

Octagon

The octagon in the above diagram is regular. If \displaystyle \overline{AB} has length 8, which of the following expressions is equal to the length of \displaystyle \overline{AD} ?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 8+4\sqrt{2}

\displaystyle 8+8\sqrt{2}

\displaystyle 8+8\sqrt{3}

\displaystyle 16

\displaystyle 8+4\sqrt{3}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 8+8\sqrt{2}

Explanation:

Construct two other diagonals as shown.

Octagon_2

Each of the interior angles of a regular octagon have measure \displaystyle 135^{\circ }, so it can be shown that \displaystyle \bigtriangleup ABX is a 45-45-90 triangle. Its hypotenuse is \displaystyle \overline{AB}, whose length is 8, so, by the 45-45-90 Triangle Theorem, the length of \displaystyle \overline{AX} is 8 divided by \displaystyle \sqrt{2}:

\displaystyle AX= \frac{8}{\sqrt{2}}= \frac{8\cdot \sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{2}\cdot \sqrt{2}} = \frac{8 \sqrt{2}}{2} = 4 \sqrt{2}

Likewise, \displaystyle YD = 4 \sqrt{2}.

Since Quadrilateral \displaystyle BCYX is a rectangle, \displaystyle XY = BC = 8.

\displaystyle AD = AX+XY+YD = 4\sqrt{2}+ 8 + 4 \sqrt{2}= 8+8\sqrt{2}

Example Question #10 : Polygons

Thingy_4

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale.

Which of the following statements is true of the length of \displaystyle \overline{AC} ?

Possible Answers:

The length of \displaystyle \overline{AC} is between 20 and 21.

The length of \displaystyle \overline{AC} is between 19 and 20.

The length of \displaystyle \overline{AC} is between 17 and 18.

The length of \displaystyle \overline{AC} is between 18 and 19.

The length of \displaystyle \overline{AC} is between 21 and 22.

Correct answer:

The length of \displaystyle \overline{AC} is between 17 and 18.

Explanation:

By dividing the figure into rectangles and taking advantage of the fact that opposite sides of rectangles are congruent, we have the following sidelengths:

Thingy_4

\displaystyle \overline{AC} is the hypotenuse of a triangle with legs of lengths 8 and 16, so its length can be calculated using the Pythagorean Theorem:

\displaystyle AC = \sqrt{(AB)^{2}+(BC)^{2}} = \sqrt{16^{2}+8^{2}} = \sqrt{256+64} = \sqrt{320}

The question can now be answered by noting that \displaystyle 17^{2} = 289 and \displaystyle 18^{2}= 324

\displaystyle 17^{2}< 320 < 18^{2},

so \displaystyle \sqrt{320} falls between 17 and 18.

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