Two shapes and printer ink
Problem
If I print this page which shape will require more yellow ink?
Estimate first making a note of your decision and how you made it.
How has this shape been created?
How would you get a reliable calculation for the area that needs yellow ink?
Create shapes of your own that look good.
Challenge yourself to calculate their areas.
Getting Started
Hint 1 - Does a grid help?
Hint 2 - Pick out parts from circles (arcs). Where is the centre for each of those circles?
Student Solutions
"You can split the problem up into combinations of circular shapes, each of which we can find the area of. Doing this I foundthat the star is over 5% larger than the S shape."
Teachers' Resources
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The main task for the student here is to identify and accurately describe the geometric properties possessed by these shapes.
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Then to make that identification the basis for calculation and interpretation.