First, label in each full side as 4:
Which makes QU = UR = 2 = PT = TS
2 triangles can be shown to be congruent making the calculation much easier.
Mark the intersection point of UP and QS as ——-point X
The mark the intersection point of RT and QS ———point Y
Triangle QXU is congruent to Triangle SYT
The diagonal QS creates a 45 degree angle near the vertex of the square.
Further, since UP and RT are drawn from the midpoints of 2 parallel sides to the opposite vertex ——-> UP and RT are 2 parallel lines cut by the transversal QS
In triangle SYT, call angle at vertex Y ——-> A degrees
The vertically opposite angle will be equal.
This vertically opposite angle is a corresponding angle to the angle at vertex X in triangle QXU
Thus, by the Angle - Angle Postulate the 2 triangles QXU and SYT are similar. They have an equal corresponding side of 2, which is half of the side of the square (QU = 2 = TS).
Therefore, triangles QXU and SYT are also congruent.
To find the shaded area, from the entire area of the square, we can remove:
Triangle QPU
And
triangle QRS from the square.
We will be counting Triangle QXU TWICE, but since we are not including the congruent triangle SYT in the removal, we will have effectively removed all the outer non-shaded area from the square.
(In other words, removing triangle QXU twice is the same thing as removing it once along with triangle SYT...since they are congruent)
(4 * 4) - (1/2 * 2 * 4) - (1/2 * 4 * 4) =
16 - 4 - 8 =
4
And divide this by the entire area of the square of 16
4/16 = 1/4
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