Balancing Problem!

Algebra Level 2

In the above diagram, both beams are balanced.

How many red squares will it take to balance 1 semi-circle?

1 square 4 squares 2 squares 3 squares

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10 solutions

Sravanth C.
Apr 25, 2015

Let us represent diamond as d, square as s and the semi circle as c.

We know that d = 2 s d = 2s . . . . . . . . . (i)

Now, c + 2 s = 3 d c+2s=3d

Or, c + d = 3 d c+d=3d . . . . . . . . . . . .[from (i)]

Or, c = 2 d c=2d

Now, from (i), 2 d = 4 s 2d=4s

Therefore, the number of squares required to balance a semicircle is, 4 \boxed4

What you're calling a 'diamond' is actually a square!

Siōbhán McKenna - 6 years, 1 month ago

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Thanks. I have edited the problem accordingly.

Calvin Lin Staff - 6 years, 1 month ago

As I cannot use square again I used diamond.

Sravanth C. - 6 years, 1 month ago

Sorry for that. I wasn't thinking of the diamond as a square. Thanks for pointing it out :)

Chung Kevin - 6 years, 1 month ago

This question is great!

Sravanth C. - 6 years, 1 month ago

its awesome

Shahadat Hossan - 6 years, 1 month ago

well done sravanth i really admire your approach through variables

Yeabkalu Assefa - 6 years, 1 month ago

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Thank you very much @Yeabkalu Assefa !

Sravanth C. - 6 years, 1 month ago

and by the way how can i change my profile pic ?

Yeabkalu Assefa - 6 years, 1 month ago

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Click on your profile picture in the top right corner (for desktop), click on account settings, and update your picture

Calvin Lin Staff - 6 years, 1 month ago
Arthur Schmitt
May 1, 2015

Do a simple relation between yellow and red pieces: 1 yellow wheighs 2 reds. That said, if you subtract 1 yellow and the 2 reds of the second scale, it gives off the correspondence: 1 purple equals 2 yellow, therefore, 1 purple equals 4 reds

1 diamond=2 square so,in the 2nd balance 2 square equals to 1 diamond. Therefore, 1 semi-circle equals to 2 diamonds. and 2 diamonds = 2*2squares=4 squares.(1 diamond =2squares) so to balance the semi circle by the squares, we need 4 red squares. :)

David Orrell
Apr 29, 2015

Call the yellow square a, the red square b and the semicircle c. Firstly we can create two linear equations:

a = 2b [1]

2b + c = 3a [2]

Equation 2 can be substituted into equation 1:

2b + c = 3(2b) = 6b

This is then rearranged to form an equation for c, in b:

c = 4b

Hence 4 red squares balance one semicircle

Zi yang Lim
Apr 28, 2015

If one Y is 2R

Then 3Y is 6R

6R-2R=4R

Therefore the semicircle is worth 4 Red Squares in weight

Ayman Elmasry
Apr 28, 2015

1 rhombus = 2 squares
3 rhombus = 1semi-circle + 2 squares
then 2 rhombus = 1 semi-circle
1 semi-circle = 4 squares


Nice and clear!

Chung Kevin - 6 years, 1 month ago

Did you know that the yellow thing is also a square? Rotated square?

Devraj Singh
Jun 19, 2015

One diamond is equals to two square. Accordingly in second beam 3 diamonds equal to 6 squares then we can cross 2 square both side this means I half sphere equal to 4 square.

Aravind Kanna
May 6, 2015

2 red squares = 1 yellow squares.here 2 red squares balance 1 yello square. so 2 yellow squares balance the semi circle. 2 yellow squares means 4 red squares

Dhaman Trivedi
May 1, 2015

What I did is this that.... here its shown that "1 diamond=2 squares. In the second image we see that 3 diamonds are here which means 30 or we can say its 3*2 = 6 squares. now the 6 squares=1 semicircle + 2 squares so, 6 squares - 2 squares = 1 semicircle = 4 squares. This question can be attempted in mind .

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