GRE Math : Cylinders

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Math

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Example Questions

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

The area of the base of a circular right cylinder is quadrupled. By what percentage is the outer face increased by this change?

Possible Answers:

100%

250%

400%

200%

300%

Correct answer:

100%

Explanation:

The base of the original cylinder would have been πr2, and the outer face would have been 2πrh, where h is the height of the cylinder.

Let's represent the original area with A, the original radius with r, and the new radius with R: therefore, we know πR2 = 4A, or πR24πr2. Solving for R, we get R = 2r; therefore, the new outer face of the cylinder will have an area of 2πRh or 2π2rh or 4πrh, which is double the original face area; thus the percentage of increase is 100%. (Don't be tricked into thinking it is 200%. That is not the percentage of increase.)

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

What is the surface area of a cylinder with a radius of 17 and a height of 3?

Possible Answers:

1984

2137

3107

2205

2000

Correct answer:

2137

Explanation:

We need the formula for the surface area of a cylinder: SA = 2πr2 + 2πrh. This formula has π in it, but the answer choices don't. This means we must approximate π. None of the answers are too close to each other so we could really even use 3 here, but it is safest to use 3.14 as an approximate value of π.

Then SA = 2 * 3.14 * 172 + 2 * 3.14 * 17 * 3 ≈ 2137

Example Question #1 : Cylinders

What is the surface area of a cylinder with a radius of 6 and a height of 9?

Possible Answers:

225π

108π

64π

180π

96π

Correct answer:

180π

Explanation:

surface area of a cylinder

= 2πr2 + 2πrh

= 2π * 62 + 2π * 6 *9

= 180π

Example Question #1 : Solid Geometry

Quantitative Comparison

Quantity A: The volume of a cylinder with a radius of 3 and a height of 4

Quantity B: 3 times the volume of a cone with a radius of 3 and a height of 4

Possible Answers:

The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.

Quantity A is greater.

The two quantities are equal.

Quantity B is greater.

Correct answer:

The two quantities are equal.

Explanation:

There is no need to do the actual computations here to find the two volumes. The volume of a cone is exactly 1/3 the volume of a cylinder with the same height and radius. That means the two quantities are equal. The formulas show this relationship as well: volume of a cone = πr2h/3 and volume of a cylinder = πr2h

Example Question #2 : Cylinders

A right circular cylinder of volume \(\displaystyle 200\pi\) has a height of 8.

Quantity A: 10

Quantity B: The circumference of the base

Possible Answers:

The two quantities are equal

Quantity A is greater

The relationship cannot be determined from the information provided.

Quantity B is greater

Correct answer:

Quantity B is greater

Explanation:

The volume of any solid figure is \(\displaystyle base \times height\). In this case, the volume of the cylinder is \(\displaystyle 200\pi\) and its height is \(\displaystyle 8\), which means that the area of its base must be \(\displaystyle 25\pi\). Working backwards, you can figure out that the radius of a circle of area \(\displaystyle 25\pi\) is \(\displaystyle 5\). The circumference of a circle with a radius of \(\displaystyle 5\) is \(\displaystyle 10\pi\), which is greater than \(\displaystyle 10\).

 

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

What is the surface area of a cylinder that has a diameter of 6 inches and is 4 inches tall?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 4\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 10\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 42\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 15\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 12\pi\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 42\pi\)

Explanation:

The formula for the surface area of a cylinder is \(\displaystyle \dpi{100} 2\pi r^{2}+ 2\pi rh\),

where \(\displaystyle r\) is the radius and \(\displaystyle h\) is the height.

\(\displaystyle \dpi{100} SA=2\pi (3)^{2}+2\pi (3)(4)\)

\(\displaystyle \dpi{100} =42\pi\)

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

A cylinder has a radius of 4 and a height of 8.  What is its surface area?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 96\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 64\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 128\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 32\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 100\pi\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 96\pi\)

Explanation:

This problem is simple if we remember the surface area formula!

\(\displaystyle SA = 2\pi r^2 +2\pi rh = 2\pi *16+2\pi *4*8 = 32\pi +64\pi = 96\pi\)

 

Example Question #1 : Solid Geometry

Quantitative Comparison

Quantity A: Surface area of a cylinder that is 2 feet high and has a radius of 4 feet

Quantity B: Surface area of a box that is 3 feet wide, 2 feet high, and 4 feet long

Possible Answers:

Quantity B is greater.

The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.

The two quantities are equal.

Quantity A is greater.

Correct answer:

Quantity A is greater.

Explanation:

Quantity A: SA of a cylinder = 2πr2 + 2πrh = 2π * 16 + 2π * 4 * 2 = 48π

Quantity B: SA of a rectangular solid = 2ab + 2bc + 2ac = 2 * 3 * 2 + 2 * 2 * 4 + 2 * 3 * 4 = 52

48π is much larger than 52, because π is approximately 3.14.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Volume Of A Cylinder

A cylinder has a height of 4 and a circumference of 16π. What is its volume

Possible Answers:

128π

256π

64π

none of these

16π

Correct answer:

256π

Explanation:

circumference = πd

d = 2r

volume of cylinder = πr2h

r = 8, h = 4

volume = 256π

Example Question #1 : Cylinders

Rusty is considering making a cylindrical grain silo to store his crops. He has an area that is 6 feet long, 6 feet wide and 12 feet tall to build a cylinder in. What is the maximum volume of grain that he can store in this cylinder?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 432\)

\(\displaystyle 108\)

\(\displaystyle 108\pi\)

\(\displaystyle 54\pi\)

 

\(\displaystyle 432\pi\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 108\pi\)

Explanation:

The maximum cylindrical base can have a diameter of 6 and therefore a radius of 3. The formula for the volume of a cylinder is \dpi{100} \small \pi r^{2}h\(\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small \pi r^{2}h\), which in this case is \dpi{100} \small 3\times 3\times 12\times \pi\(\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small 3\times 3\times 12\times \pi\)

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