SSAT Upper Level Math : Area and Circumference of a Circle

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Area And Circumference Of A Circle

Sector

Give the area of the figure in the above diagram.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 24 \pi

\displaystyle 8 \pi

\displaystyle 12 \pi

\displaystyle 16 \pi

\displaystyle 6 \pi

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 24 \pi

Explanation:

The figure is a sector of a circle with radius 8; the sector has degree measure \displaystyle 180 ^{\circ } - 45 ^{\circ }= 135 ^{\circ }. The area of the sector is 

\displaystyle A = \frac{ 135^{\circ }}{360 ^{\circ }} \cdot \pi r^{2}

\displaystyle A = \frac{ 135^{\circ }}{360 ^{\circ }} \cdot \pi \cdot 8^{2}

\displaystyle A = \frac{ 3}{8} \cdot 64 \pi

\displaystyle A = 24 \pi

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

Semicircle

Give the area of the above figure.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 11\pi

\displaystyle \frac{121\pi}{8 }

\displaystyle \frac{121\pi}{2 }

\displaystyle \frac{11\pi}{2}

\displaystyle \frac{121\pi}{4}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \frac{121\pi}{8 }

Explanation:

The figure is a semicircle - one-half of a circle - with radius 5.5, or \displaystyle \frac{11}{2}. Its area is one-half of the square of the radius multiplied by \displaystyle \pi - that is, 

\displaystyle A = \frac{1}{2} \pi r^{2}

\displaystyle A = \frac{1}{2} \pi \left (\frac{11}{2} \right )^{2}

\displaystyle A = \frac{1}{2} \pi \cdot \frac{121}{4}

\displaystyle A = \frac{121\pi}{8 }

Example Question #2 : Area And Circumference Of A Circle

A circle on the coordinate plane has equation 

\displaystyle x^{2} + y^{2} = 66.

Which of the following gives the area of the circle?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 33\pi

\displaystyle 132\pi

\displaystyle 2\pi \sqrt{66}

\displaystyle \pi \sqrt{66}

\displaystyle 66\pi

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 66\pi

Explanation:

The equation of a circle on the coordinate plane is 

\displaystyle x^{2} + y^{2} = r^{2},

where \displaystyle r is the radius. Therefore, in this equation, 

\displaystyle r^{2} = 66.

The area of a circle is found using the formula

\displaystyle A = \pi r^{2},

so we substitute 66 for \displaystyle r^{2}, yielding

\displaystyle A = 66 \pi.

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

Give the area of a circle that circumscribes a 30-60-90 triangle whose shorter leg has length 11.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \frac{484 \pi}{3}

\displaystyle \frac{121 \pi}{2}

\displaystyle \frac{121 \pi}{3}

\displaystyle 242 \pi

\displaystyle 121 \pi

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 121 \pi

Explanation:

If a right triangle is inscribed inside a circle, then the arc intercepted by the right angle is a semicircle, making the hypotenuse of triangle a diameter. 

The length of a hypotenuse of a 30-60-90 triangle is twice that of its short leg, so the hypotenuse of this triangle will be twice 11, or 22. The diameter of the circle is therefore 22, and the radius is half this, or 11. The area of the circle is therefore

\displaystyle A = \pi r^{2} = \pi \cdot 11 ^{2} = 121 \pi

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

Give the ratio of the area of a circle that circumscribes an equilateral triangle to that of a circle that is inscribed inside the same triangle.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 2\sqrt{3}:1

\displaystyle 3:1

\displaystyle 2\sqrt{2}:1

\displaystyle 3\sqrt{2}:1

\displaystyle 4:1

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 4:1

Explanation:

Examine the following diagram:

Thingy

If a (perpendicular) radius of the inscribed circle is constructed to the triangle, and a radius of the circumscribed circle is constructed to a neighboring vertex, a right triangle is formed. By symmetry, it can be shown that this is a 30-60-90 triangle, and, subsequently,

\displaystyle BO = 2 \cdot AO

If we let \displaystyle r = AO, the area of the inscribed circle is \displaystyle A = \pi r^{2}.

Then \displaystyle BO = 2r, and the area of the circumscribed circle is  \displaystyle \pi\left ( 2r \right )^{2} = \pi \cdot 4r^{2} = 4 \pi r^{2} = 4A

The ratio of the areas is therefore 4 to 1.

Example Question #3 : Geometry

Give the area of a circle that circumscribes an equilateral triangle with perimeter 54.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 54 \pi

\displaystyle 216 \pi

\displaystyle 108 \pi

The correct answer is not among the other responses.

\displaystyle 27 \pi

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 108 \pi

Explanation:

An equilateral triangle of perimeter 54 has sidelength one-third of this, or 18. 

Construct this triangle and its circumscribed circle, as well as a perpendicular bisector to one side and a radius to one of that side's endpoints:

Thingy

Each side of the triangle has measure 18, so \displaystyle AB = 9. Also, the triangle formed by the segments, by symmetry, is a 30-60-90 triangle. By the 30-60-90 Theorem, 

\displaystyle BO = \frac{AB}{\sqrt{3}} = \frac{9}{\sqrt{3}} = \frac{9\cdot \sqrt{3}}{\sqrt{3}\cdot \sqrt{3}} = \frac{9 \sqrt{3}}{3} = 3 \sqrt{3}

and \displaystyle AO = 2 \cdot BO = 2 \cdot 3\sqrt{3} = 6 \sqrt{3}.

The latter is the radius, so the area of this circle is 

\displaystyle A = \pi r^{2} = \pi (6 \sqrt{3})^{2} = \pi \cdot 6 ^{2} (\sqrt{3})^{2} = 36 \cdot 3 \cdot \pi = 108 \pi

Example Question #3 : Area And Circumference Of A Circle

\displaystyle 60 ^{\circ } central angle of a circle has a chord with length 7. Give the area of the circle.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 98 \pi

\displaystyle 14 \pi

\displaystyle \frac{49 \pi}{4}

The correct answer is not among the other responses.

\displaystyle 49 \pi

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 49 \pi

Explanation:

The figure below shows \displaystyle \angle AOB, which matches this description, along with its chord \displaystyle \overline{AB}:

Thingy

By way of the Isosceles Triangle Theorem, \displaystyle \Delta AOB can be proved equilateral, so \displaystyle AB = AO= 7. This is the radius, so the area is

\displaystyle A = \pi r^{2} = \pi \cdot 7^{2}= 49 \pi

Example Question #4 : Area And Circumference Of A Circle

Give the area of a circle that circumscribes a \displaystyle 30-60-90 triangle whose longer leg has length \displaystyle 11.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 121 \pi

\displaystyle \frac{121 \pi}{3}

\displaystyle 242\pi

\displaystyle \frac{121 \pi}{2}

\displaystyle \frac{484\pi}{3}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \frac{121 \pi}{3}

Explanation:

If a right triangle is inscribed inside a circle, then the arc intercepted by the right angle is a semicircle, making the hypotenuse of the triangle a diameter. 

By the 30-60-90 Theorem, the length of the shorter leg of a 30-60-90 triangle is that of the longer leg divided by \displaystyle \sqrt{3}, so the shorter leg will have length \displaystyle \frac{11}{\sqrt{3}}; the hypotenuse will have length twice this length, or 

\displaystyle 2 \cdot \frac{11}{\sqrt{3}} = \frac{22}{\sqrt{3}}.

The diameter of the circle is therefore \displaystyle \frac{22}{\sqrt{3}}; the radius is half this, or \displaystyle \frac{11}{\sqrt{3}}. The area of the circle is therefore

\displaystyle A = \pi r^{2} = \pi \cdot \left ( \frac{11}{\sqrt{3}} \right ) ^{2} = \frac{121}{3}\cdot \pi = \frac{121 \pi}{3}

Example Question #5 : Area And Circumference Of A Circle

\displaystyle 90 ^{\circ } central angle of a circle has a chord with length \displaystyle 15. Give the area of the circle.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 15 \pi \sqrt{2}

\displaystyle 30 \pi \sqrt{2}

\displaystyle 75 \pi

\displaystyle 225 \pi

\displaystyle \frac{225 \pi}{2}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \frac{225 \pi}{2}

Explanation:

The figure below shows \displaystyle \angle AOB, which matches this description, along with its chord \displaystyle \overline{AB}:

Thingy

By way of the Isoscelese Triangle Theorem, \displaystyle \Delta AOB can be proved a 45-45-90 triangle with hypotenuse 15. By the 45-45-90 Theorem, its legs, each a radius, have length that can be determined by dividing this by \displaystyle \sqrt{2}:

\displaystyle A O = \frac{AB }{\sqrt{2}} = \frac{15}{\sqrt{2}}

The area is therefore

\displaystyle A = \pi r^{2} = \pi \cdot \left ( \frac{15}{\sqrt{2}} \right )^{2} = \pi \cdot \frac{225}{2} =\frac{225 \pi}{2}

Example Question #2 : Area And Circumference Of A Circle

Give the area of a circle that is inscribed in an equilateral triangle with perimeter \displaystyle 72.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 72 \pi

\displaystyle 48 \pi

\displaystyle 144 \pi

\displaystyle 96 \pi

\displaystyle 24 \pi

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 48 \pi

Explanation:

An equilateral triangle of perimeter 72 has sidelength one-third of this, or 24. 

Construct this triangle and its inscribed circle, as well as a radius to one side - which, by symmetry, is a perpendicular bisector - and a segment to one of that side's endpoints:

Thingy

Each side of the triangle has measure 24, so \displaystyle AB = 12. Also, the triangle formed by the segments, by symmetry, is a 30-60-90 triangle. Therefore, 

\displaystyle BO = \frac{AB}{\sqrt{3}} = \frac{12}{\sqrt{3}} = \frac{12\cdot \sqrt{3}}{\sqrt{3}\cdot \sqrt{3}} = \frac{12 \sqrt{3}}{3} =4\sqrt{3}

which is the radius of the circle. The area of this circle is 

\displaystyle A = \pi r^{2} = \pi (4 \sqrt{3})^{2} = \pi \cdot 4 ^{2} (\sqrt{3})^{2} = 16\cdot 3 \cdot \pi= 48\pi

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