Copyright © University of Cambridge. All rights reserved.

'Compare Areas' printed from https://nrich.maths.org/

Show menu

 

Why do this problem ?

This problem brings together ideas of areas of circles and squares, the use of Pythagoras' Theorem and the property of tangents to a circle from an exernal point.

 

Possible approach

You might start with the middle diagram which is the easiest. It brings in the ratio of the sides of an isosceles right angles triangle which is again used in the other two parts.

 

Key questions

If you know the side length of an isosceles right angled triangle how do you find the hypotenuse?

Which lengths are equal in the diagram?

Which angles are equal?

Can you use the symmetry of the diagram?