Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2012

Geometry Difficulty 2.8 Junior Find the answer Canada

Two circles with equal radii intersect as shown.

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Suppose that the radius of each of the circles is rr.

Since the two circles are identical, then the two circles have equal area.

Since the shaded area is common to the two circles, then the unshaded pieces of each circle have equal areas.

Since the combined area of the unshaded regions equals that of the shaded region, or 216π216\pi, then each of the unshaded regions have area 12×216π=108π\frac{1}{2}\times 216\pi = 108\pi.

The total area of one of the circles equals the sum of the areas of the shaded region and one unshaded region, or 216π+108π=324π216\pi + 108\pi = 324\pi.

Since the radius of the circle is rr, then πr2=324π\pi r^2 = 324\pi or r2=324r^2 = 324.

Since r>0r>0, then r=324=18r = \sqrt{324}=18.

Therefore, the circumference of each circle is 2πr=2π(18)=36π2\pi r = 2\pi(18)=36\pi.

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Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.