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Area of the path?

A hard-level "Area" problem.For any path of constant width — circular, square or wiggly — the area is "length of the centre line × width". Faster and safer than subtracting.

GivenA round pond of radius 10 m with a 2 m wide path around it / π = 3.14

Area ★★★★☆☆ Area of the path? 10m 2m

Hints

  1. Start with the direct route. The outer circle has radius 10 + 2 = 12 m, so its area is 452.16 m².
  2. The pond (inner circle) is 10 × 10 × 3.14 = 314 m². Subtract, and the path is 138.16 m².
  3. Now a completely different view. Redraw, and think about the dashed circle running right down the middle of the path. Its radius is 10 + 2 ÷ 2 = 11 m.
  4. That circle's circumference is 2 × 11 × 3.14 = 69.08 m. Now imagine cutting the path along this line and straightening it out.
  5. Straightened out it is a long thin rectangle, 69.08 m by 2 m. The inside edge shrinks and the outside stretches, but the middle line is neither, so its length is unchanged.
  6. 69.08 × 2 = 138.16 m² — exactly the same answer as the subtraction gave.

Answer 138.16m²

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