Can you solve this 6th grade math problem?

[Excited Penguin]

Are you claiming I didn't grasp it? Because I did. I described the solution, I just didn't provide the math. Go back and read my reply again.

You made the claim that I didn't give my answer in English, so I was offering to help you out with your evident language issue.

Boru

Yeah, partly, I guess, but I was also implying you were using the language of science, whereas I was using mere English to describe it to other mortals who aren't math whizzes.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

You made the claim that I didn't give my answer in English, so I was offering to help you out with your evident language issue.

Boru

Yeah, partly, I guess, but I was also implying you were using the language of science, whereas I was using mere English to describe it to other mortals who aren't math whizzes.

I really don't think someone needs to be a 'math whiz' to follow my explanation. And since when is English not 'the language of science'?

Boru

[pocaracas]

Now, now, boys... no need to fight.

You're all right!
Area of the rectangle, minus the circles divided by two.
Or
Area of the triangle minus the area of one circle.

It's the same thing, given that the area of the triangle is the same as the rectangle divided by 2.

Told you guys it was simple!


We can also do it with integrals.... anyone care to try?

[Excited Penguin]

Yeah, partly, I guess, but I was also implying you were using the language of science, whereas I was using mere English to describe it to other mortals who aren't math whizzes.

I really don't think someone needs to be a 'math whiz' to follow my explanation.  And since when is English not 'the language of science'?  

Boru

You're trying to pick a fight. Not interested.

[LadyForCamus]

6 grader is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy beyond my math level.

Math makes my skin cells throw up.

[robvalue]

Just saw this on youtube... after the first 10 seconds, I got it... then noticed that the video was 9 minutes long! O.o

All you brainiacs take it easy and let's see how others do it!

THE PROBLEM:

Find the total area of the red spots.




That's a normal rectangle, with two equal circles inside.
Looks odd, at first, but it's remarkably simple.

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Okay, it's half the total area you'd get from cutting out the circles from the rectangle.

(20*10 - 2*PI*5*5)/2 = (200-50PI)/2 = 100 - 25PI

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[Whateverist]

Interestingly the area in red would be equal no matter where you draw the line so as to cut the rectangle in half through its center point.  It would obviously be so for a line dividing the rectangle in two 10 by 10 squares or a line parallel to the two long sides bisecting the rectangle into two rectangles with the same length but half its height.   But draw a line which goes through a point on the upper long side three units from the top left corner which connects to a point on the bottom long side three units from the bottom right corner, and the answer will still be the same.

This reminds me of a similar but harder middle school math problem.  Five people wish to share a cake equally so that each one gets an equal portion of both cake and frosting.  The cake has a square base and is a rectangular prism in shape.  It is frosted (uniformly) only on the top and four sides above the platter on which it sits.  Using only the minimum number of straight cuts made with a knife, explain how this can be done.  (I always found more students would be successful if I specified a convenient side length for the cake, but it isn't necessary.  A suggested side length is given below.)

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Let the side length of of the square base be 10 inches.  Yeah, these guys are gluttons.

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[Alex K]

The area is not uniquely defined because of the quantum divergences of the underlying framework defining the areas. Depending on the renormalization group flow of the scale dependent correlation functions of the total area operator, it will be a number between 0 and infinity.

[pocaracas]

6 grader is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy beyond my math level.

Math makes my skin cells throw up.

Don't be like that.
Math is fun.... and this is a simple geometry problem.

Many kids are feeling like you, simply because of this generalized social repulsion towards math... don't add to the problem, be part of the solution!
Try.... as with many other things, you will fail, at first... try again and again... eventually, it becomes second nature.
Pass that on to your kids and friends...

[pocaracas]

The area is not uniquely defined because of the quantum divergences of the underlying framework defining the areas. Depending on the renormalization group flow of the scale dependent correlation functions of the total area operator, it will be a number between 0 and infinity.

That's the sort of thing a guy with a PhD says when he... doesn't know the answer.