5-Day Free Trial
5-day free, full-access trial TTP
Available with Beat the GMAT members only code
MORE DETAILS
Square
This topic has expert replies
-
MBA.Aspirant
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 401
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 1:14 am
- Thanked: 37 times
- Followed by:5 members
-
SoCan
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 9:19 am
- Thanked: 18 times
- Followed by:1 members
If area of larger square is 25 and is 9 times larger than the smaller square, then the area of the smaller square is 25/9. To get the length of the side, take the square root = 5/3.
Or, because the area is the square of the sides, if the area is 9 times larger, you know the length of the side is 3 times longer. Length of a side of a square with area 25 = 5. Length divided by 3 = 5/3.
Or, because the area is the square of the sides, if the area is 9 times larger, you know the length of the side is 3 times longer. Length of a side of a square with area 25 = 5. Length divided by 3 = 5/3.
-
MBA.Aspirant
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 401
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 1:14 am
- Thanked: 37 times
- Followed by:5 members
The ratio is between the two "shaded" squares not the original square to the small one
area of big shaded square to that of small shaded one is 9:1
area of big shaded square to that of small shaded one is 9:1
-
cans
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 1309
- Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:34 am
- Location: India
- Thanked: 310 times
- Followed by:123 members
- GMAT Score:750
area of original square=25
hence side=5
let side of small square=a, then that of larger = 5-a
thus (5-a)^2/a^2 = 9
taking root on each side, (5-a)/a=3
=>5-a=3a =>
a=5/4
hence side=5
let side of small square=a, then that of larger = 5-a
thus (5-a)^2/a^2 = 9
taking root on each side, (5-a)/a=3
=>5-a=3a =>
a=5/4
-
MBA.Aspirant
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 401
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 1:14 am
- Thanked: 37 times
- Followed by:5 members
-
SoCan
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 9:19 am
- Thanked: 18 times
- Followed by:1 members
Yikes - didn't read the question very closelyMBA.Aspirant wrote:The ratio is between the two "shaded" squares not the original square to the small one
area of big shaded square to that of small shaded one is 9:1
-
SoCan
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 9:19 am
- Thanked: 18 times
- Followed by:1 members
Now that I've read it properly.cans wrote:area of original square=25
hence side=5
let side of small square=a, then that of larger = 5-a
thus (5-a)^2/a^2 = 9
taking root on each side, (5-a)/a=3
=>5-a=3a =>
a=5/4
Another way to look at it:
Since larger square area is 9 times that of the smaller square, it's length is 3 times that of the smaller square. Let length of side of smaller square = x, then length of side of larger square = 3x
Area of ABCD = 25, so length is 5
Length of side of ABCD = length of smaller square + length of larger square
5 = x + 3x
5= 4x
x=5/4
-
smackmartine
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 516
- Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:22 pm
- Thanked: 112 times
- Followed by:13 members
IMO E
let L = side of larger sq
and x = side of the smaller sq
also length of largest sq = sqrt(25) = 5 = x+L ---I
also L^2 = 9x^2
L=3x
Substituting value of L in statement I
x+3x = 5
4x=5
x=5/4
let L = side of larger sq
and x = side of the smaller sq
also length of largest sq = sqrt(25) = 5 = x+L ---I
also L^2 = 9x^2
L=3x
Substituting value of L in statement I
x+3x = 5
4x=5
x=5/4
-
GMATGuruNY
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 15539
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: New York, NY
- Thanked: 13060 times
- Followed by:1906 members
- GMAT Score:790
We can plug in the answers, which represent the length of one side of the smaller square.If square ABCD has area 25, and the area of the larger shaded square is 9 times the area of the smaller shaded square, what is the length of one side of the smaller shaded square?
A. 3/4
B. 5/4
C. 6/5
D. 4/3
E. 5/3
On the GMAT, the answers likely would be listed in ascending order: 3/4, 6/5, 5/4, 4/3, 5/3.
Middle answer choice: 5/4
Since side of ABCD = 5, side of the larger shaded square = 5 - 5/4 = 15/4.
The denominators of the two lengths (5/4 and 15/4) are the same.
To compare the areas of the two squares, we need to compare only the squares of the numerators:
Bigger area:smaller area = (15^2)/(5^2) = (15/5)^2 = 9.
Success!
The correct answer is B.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.
As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.
For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.
As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.
For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
-
aftableo2006
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:55 pm
- Thanked: 1 times
-
TuanNguyen87
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 9:40 am
Because the area of ABCD is 25, so each side is 5.
Then call the larger sides are a; the smaller sides are b
And call x is the area of the smaller one => the area of the larger is 9x
Therefore, we have: a^2= 9x => a
b^2= x => b
=> a + b= 5 => we have x => finally, we figure out b= 5/4
IMO B
Then call the larger sides are a; the smaller sides are b
And call x is the area of the smaller one => the area of the larger is 9x
Therefore, we have: a^2= 9x => a
b^2= x => b
=> a + b= 5 => we have x => finally, we figure out b= 5/4
IMO B
