Bunuel
The area of circle O is added to its diameter. If the circumference of circle O is then subtracted from this total, the result is 4. What is the radius of circle O?
A) –2/pi
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
Kudos for a correct solution.
KAPLAN OFFICIAL SOLUTION:The key to solving this problem within the two-minute time frame on the GMAT is realizing what it is really testing. As is the case with many GMAT problems, this is not the type of question it seems to be at first. Many students, seeing information about a circle, start drawing a picture. If this were really a geometry problem, that would be the correct first step. However, this is actually an algebra problem in disguise.
The correct first step is to translate the information in the problem into an equation. ‘The area of a circle is added to its diameter’ becomes \(\pi r^2 + d\). Since we know that the diameter is twice as long as the radius, we can rewrite d as 2r, making the expression \(\pi r^2+ 2r\). Next, we are told that the circumference of the circle is subtracted from this total, making the expression \(\pi r^2 + 2r – 2\pi r\). Finally, we know that the result is 4. So, the entire equation is \(\pi r^2+ 2r – 2 \pi r = 4\). As the problem asks for the radius of the circle, all we need to do now is solve for r, which can be done in the following manner:
\(\pi r^2 + 2r – 2\pi r = 4\)
\(\pi r^2+ 2r – 2 \pi r – 4 = 0\)
At this point, be sure to note that you have a quadratic, which can be factored to:
\((\pi r + 2)(r – 2) = 0\)
As is the case with most quadratics, this equation has two solutions. Either \(\pi r + 2 = 0\), in which case \(r = -\frac{2}{\pi}\), or \(r-2 = 0\), in which case \(r = 2\).
Looking at the answer choices, you will notice that both of these are listed as options. But, because this problem is referring to a circle’s radius, which can only have a positive value, r must be positive and thus must equal 2.
Answer: B.