equilateral triangle pS

This topic has expert replies
Legendary Member
Posts: 1035
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:56 pm
Thanked: 104 times
Followed by:1 members

by scoobydooby » Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:30 pm
wow, great logitech. please do share if you come across any other such relations.

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2134
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:26 pm
Thanked: 237 times
Followed by:25 members
GMAT Score:730

by logitech » Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:36 pm
scoobydooby wrote:wow, great logitech. please do share if you come across any other such relations.
I dont come across, I find them ;-)
LGTCH
---------------------
"DON'T LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR DREAM!"

User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:28 am
Location: Canada
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:700

by adilka » Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:39 pm
scoobydooby wrote: using the property of the 30-60-90 with base as 3, we get radius as 2*3^1/2
excellent logic. but something doesn't add up for me. I know it has to work, but it doesnt:

3^2 + (3/2)^2 = 45/4
(45/4)^(1/2) = 3/2*5^(1/2) which is not the radius in this problem! Radius is 2*3^(1/2)! What gives?

Legendary Member
Posts: 1035
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:56 pm
Thanked: 104 times
Followed by:1 members

by scoobydooby » Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:57 pm
adilka wrote:
scoobydooby wrote: using the property of the 30-60-90 with base as 3, we get radius as 2*3^1/2
excellent logic. but something doesn't add up for me. I know it has to work, but it doesnt:

3^2 + (3/2)^2 = 45/4
(45/4)^(1/2) = 3/2*5^(1/2) which is not the radius in this problem! Radius is 2*3^(1/2)! What gives?

say the triangle inscribed be ABC (say B top, AC base). from A and C extend upto O the centre of the circle. you have triangle OAC within triangle ABC. OA=OC=radius=r. let the perpendicular from B to AC be BN. ON perpendicular to AC.

AN=3 (the perpendicular bisects the base)
angle AON:60 (as angle AOC=2*angleABC)
in the 30-60-90 triangle AON, ratio of sides 1:3^1/2:2
AN=3, this would give radius=OA=2*3^1/2

logitechs relation between triangle and circle would be much faster in this case.

User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:28 am
Location: Canada
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:700

by adilka » Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:26 am
Thanks, Scooby. I found my mistake. Was taking 1:2 proportion of the legs, vs. hyp./smaller leg.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:20 am

by tritrantran » Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:32 am
scoobydooby wrote:
adilka wrote:
scoobydooby wrote: using the property of the 30-60-90 with base as 3, we get radius as 2*3^1/2
excellent logic. but something doesn't add up for me. I know it has to work, but it doesnt:

3^2 + (3/2)^2 = 45/4
(45/4)^(1/2) = 3/2*5^(1/2) which is not the radius in this problem! Radius is 2*3^(1/2)! What gives?

say the triangle inscribed be ABC (say B top, AC base). from A and C extend upto O the centre of the circle. you have triangle OAC within triangle ABC. OA=OC=radius=r. let the perpendicular from B to AC be BN. ON perpendicular to AC.

AN=3 (the perpendicular bisects the base)
angle AON:60 (as angle AOC=2*angleABC)
in the 30-60-90 triangle AON, ratio of sides 1:3^1/2:2
AN=3, this would give radius=OA=2*3^1/2

logitechs relation between triangle and circle would be much faster in this case.
Can you attach a visual image? I'm not quite sure what you're trying to describe.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:20 am

by tritrantran » Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:34 am
logitech wrote:Guys I have seen this same problem so many times over and over again..I carried the whole calculation and found out:

Area of Triangle / Area of Circle = 3xSQRT(3)/4Pi

In our example:

3xSQRT(3)/4Pi = 9SQRT(3)/Area of Circle

Area of Circle : 12 pi

In your face GMAT!!

:lol:

Put it in a flash card ( if you have time and patience, you can drive the formula )
Thanks logitech!

Does this equation work for a circle inscribed in an equilateral triangle as well or is there another equation?

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 355
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:42 pm
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:1 members

by vineetbatra » Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:26 pm
logitech wrote:Area of Triangle / Area of Circle = 3xSQRT(3)/4Pi
Hi Logitech,

Is this formula applicable only to an equilateral triangle or any triangle?

I would like to derive this formula, can you please share the starting point for this formula?

Thanks,

Vineet

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 6:39 pm

by rdjlar » Wed Nov 24, 2010 12:07 pm
Anyone found an alternative approach to Logitech's formula? Thanks

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 332
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:50 pm
Thanked: 41 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:720

by rishab1988 » Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:12 pm
Hey guys,

I know this might be too late.Here is how I arrived at the answer12 pi

All of you guys solved that side=6 [needs no explanation]

Now here is how i proceeded.

The perpendicular = 3 root 3.

The theory(property of an equilateral triangles inscribed in a circle) is that "if the perpendicular is divided in a ratio 2:1 such that the longer part is from the vertex and the shorter part is towards the base,to which it is perpendicular and which it bisects" then the radius of the circle is the longer of the two parts.

so the radius is 2/3 [3 root 3]= 2 root 3

Area= pi r^2= pi (2 root 3)^2= 12pi

Legendary Member
Posts: 537
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:06 pm
Thanked: 14 times
Followed by:1 members

by frank1 » Thu Nov 25, 2010 12:53 am
I think we can use two formula here
step1
traditional
area of eq triangle= (root(3))/4) side^2
so
9 (root) 3= (root(3))/4) side^2
side^2=36
side=6(since it is length)

now generalized one,my teacher told me that it can be used as formula
when eq triangle is inscribed inside circle
area of cirle=(pi/3)xside^2

so pi/3 X 36
12 pi
answer

When circle is inscribed inside eq triangle with side x (opposite of above)
formula is
pi/12 X x^2
GMAT score is equally counted as your GPA and 78 clicks can change you life.

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:11 pm

by smayekar » Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:25 am
This does not require a formula

we know Area of Equilateral triangle = ((Sq Root 3) / 4 )* (side) sq

we get side

Also since the triangle is inscribed the center angle is twice 60 = 120

So we have a 30 - 60 -90 with one side as 6/2 = 3 from which we can derive radius.

Once r is found Area circle can be found.

Hope this helps.

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 543
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:01 pm
Thanked: 147 times
Followed by:3 members

by anshumishra » Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:38 pm
Hi,

As we have seen there are multiple ways to solve this question :

1. Use s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c) = (abc/4R)^2

2. Using the concept ((property of an equilateral triangles inscribed in a circle) that the perpendicular is divided in a ratio 2:1 such that the longer part is from the vertex and the shorter part is towards the base,to which it is perpendicular and which it bisects"]


Let me add another way to use a little bit of trigonometry (which also derives the radius, somebody asked how to find it without knowing these rules) :

3.
In the diagram attached :
angle OAD=angle OBD=30
Triangle OAD and triangle OBD are 30-60-90 triangle

So, AD/OA = sqrt3/2; (If you know that D is midpoint of AB, then you may skip the next few lines altogether).
similarly; BD/OB = sqrt3/2;

=> AD+BD = sqrt3/2 * (OA+OB) = sqrt3/2 * 2r
=> 6 = sqrt3/2 * 2r
=> r = 6/sqrt3

Hence , area = pi*r^2 = 12pi.

Thanks
Attachments
circle_triangle.jpg

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:04 pm
Thanked: 3 times
Followed by:1 members

by Spidy001 » Sun Apr 03, 2011 6:18 pm
Area of equilateral triangle = (sqrt(3)/4)*(S^2) = 9 sqrt3)

=> side S = 6

Radius of the circle R = S/sqrt(s) = 2* sqrt(3)

Area of the circle = pi*4**3 = 12pi

Answer C

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:54 am
Thanked: 2 times

by sushantgupta » Sun May 01, 2011 10:22 pm
Answer is 12pi.
Here are 2 important properties:
1. Perpendiculars on the sides of equilateral triangles intersect eacho other in the ratio 2:1.
2. If an equilateral triangle is inscribed in a circle the perpendiculars intersect each other ot the center of the circle.

Based on 1 and 2 above : radius (r) = 2h (height of triangle)/3
For equilateral triangle h/b(base) = tan 60 = sqrt(3)/2 => b = 2h/sqrt(3).
Given area of triangle = bh/2 = 9*sqrt(3)=> h^2/sqrt(3) {replaced value of b from above} => h = 3*sqrt(3).
so r = 2h/3 = 2*sqrt(3) and hence area of circle = 12pi.