A square that fits snugly inside a circle is inscribed in the circle. The square’s corners will touch, but not intersect, the circle’s boundary, and the square’s diagonal will equal the circle’s diameter. Also, as is true of any square’s diagonal, it will equal the hypotenuse of a 45°-45°-90° triangle. GRE questions about squares inscribed […]
Quantitative Challenge: Circle Inscribed in a Right Triangle
Where’s the Radius? Occasionally on GRE Quant, we might encounter a geometry problem that confounds easy analysis. Our usual techniques of drawing our own image and labeling values might not seem to produce any useful information, and we end up feeling “stuck.” As we’ve discussed previously, one key to success on GRE Quant is to […]
Geometry Challenge: Use the Volume Formula Wisely
GRE geometry can sometimes seem like a formula fest. Formulas matter, for sure, but simply memorizing them isn’t enough. You also need to know how to use them efficiently. For practice, try this Quantitative Comparison question that requires you to apply the volume formula for a cylinder.
Arithmetic Challenge: Find the Expression that Must be Negative
GRE arithmetic questions can challenge you to think abstractly about simple concepts such as squaring or subtracting numbers. Meeting this challenge often becomes easier when you replace any variables with specific values. See for yourself with this arithmetic problem that only about half of test takers would get right.
Triangle Geometry Made Easy
Triangles dominate GRE geometry. Make sure you learn the area formula for a triangle (½ base × height) plus facts like “the sum of a triangle’s interior angles is 180°.” But you probably already know about that stuff. Here are some GRE triangle facts you may not know about.