Problem:
The Math Team designed a logo shaped like a multiplication symbol, shown below on a grid of -inch squares. What is the area of the logo in square inches?
Answer Choices:
A.
B.
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E.
Solution:
Let's first consider the following:
Uing the Pythagorean theorem, we know how to solve for relatively easily:
With that in mind, let's try and find the area of the purple square:
We now know that the area of this slanted, small square is equal to . With that in mind, let's look at the full picture:
We can clearly see that there are of these same small purple squares that make up the logo. We already know that the area of one of the small purple squares is equal to , so the total area is:
Thus, the answer is .
Answer: .
The problems on this page are the property of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions