A square piece of sailcloth is trimmed by 4 feet on one edge to form a

Hi draditya,

This question can be solved with a standard 'math' approach or it can be solved by TESTing THE ANSWERS.

We're given a number of facts to work with:
1) We start with a SQUARE piece of cloth.
2) We cut 4 feet off of one edge (and for a rectangle)
3) That rectangle is cut diagonally to form two sails (with area of 240 ft^2 each).

We're asked for the ORIGINAL PERIMETER of the cloth.

Let's TEST Answer B: 88 feet
If...
Perimeter = 88 feet
Dimensions = 22 by 22

Rectangle dimensions = 18 x 22
Triangle area = (1/2)(18)(22) = 198 ft^2 This is TOO SMALL.
Eliminate Answers A and B.

Let's TEST Answer D: 104 feet
If....
Perimeter = 104 feet
Dimensions = 26 by 26

Rectangle dimensions = 22 x 26
Triangle area = (1/2)(22)(26) = 286 ft^2 This is TOO BIG.
Eliminate Answers D and E.

There's only one answer left...

Final Answer:

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich