Unit 3 Practice Problems

Lesson 1: How Well Can You Measure?

Lesson 2: Exploring Circles

Lesson 3: Exploring Circumference

Lesson 4: Applying Circumference

Lesson 5: Circumference and Wheels

Lesson 6: Estimating Area

Lesson 7: Exploring the Area of a Circle

Lesson 8: Relating Area to Circumference

Lesson 9: Applying Area of Circles

Lesson 10: Distinguishing Circumference and Area

Lesson 1
Problem 1
Estimate the side length of a square that has a 9 cm long diagonal.

Solution

⋅
6.3 cm, because the perimeter of the square is approximately 9 2.8 or 25.2 cm and 25.2/4=6.3 cm.

Problem 2
Select all quantities that are proportional to the diagonal length of a square.

A. Area of a square
B. Perimeter of a square
C. Side length of a square

Solution
B, C

Problem 3
Diego made a graph of two quantities that he measured and said, “The points all lie on a line except
one, which is a little bit above the line. This means that the quantities can’t be proportional.” Do you
agree with Diego? Explain.

Solution
Answers vary. Sample response: I don’t agree with Diego, since the quantities could be proportional if
the line goes through the origin. Measurements are not perfect and the relationship could be
proportional.
Problem 4
The graph shows that while it was being filled, the amount of water in gallons in a swimming pool was
approximately proportional to the time that has passed in minutes.

1. About how much water was in the pool after 25 minutes?

2. Approximately when were there 500 gallons of water in the pool?
3. Estimate the constant of proportionality for the number of gallons of water per minute going
into the pool.

Solution
1. About 380 gallons
2. After about 35 minutes
3. About 15

Lesson 2
Problem 1
Use a geometric tool to draw a circle. Draw and measure a radius and a diameter of the circle.

Solution
Answers vary.

Problem 2
Here is a circle with center H and some line segments and curves joining points on the circle.
Identify examples of the following. Explain your reasoning.

1. Diameter
2. Radius

Solution
1. Segments AE and DG. They are line segments that go through the center of the circle with
endpoints on the circle.
2. Segments AH, DH, EH, and GH are radii. They are line segments that go from the center to
the circle.

Problem 3
Lin measured the diameter of a circle in two different directions. Measuring vertically, she got 3.5 cm,
and measuring horizontally, she got 3.6 cm. Explain some possible reasons why these
measurements differ.
Solution
Two diameters of a circle should have the same length. Explanations vary. Possible explanations:

● These measurements could be rounded, not exact.

● The thickness of the circle could have affected the measurements.
● Lin did not measure across the widest part when measuring vertically.
● The shape is not quite a circle, because a perfect circle is very hard to draw.

Problem 4
(from Unit 2, Lesson 1)
A small, test batch of lemonade used 1/4 cup of sugar added to 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of lemon
juice. After confirming it tasted good, a larger batch is going to be made with the same ratios using 10
cups of water. How much sugar should be added so that the large batch tastes the same as the test
batch?

Solution

2.5 cups since the larger batch is 10 times larger (for the water 10÷1=10) and 10 ⋅1/4=2.5.
Problem 5
(from Unit 2, Lesson 13)
The graph of a proportional relationship contains the point with coordinates (3,12). What is the
constant of proportionality of the relationship?

Solution
4

Lesson 3
Problem 1
Diego measured the diameter and circumference of several circular objects and recorded his
measurements in the table.

One of his measurements is inaccurate. Which measurement is it? Explain how you know.

Solution
The measurement for the flying disc is very inaccurate. It should be about 3 times the diameter (or a
little more).

Problem 2
Complete the table. Use one of the approximate values for π discussed in class (for example 3.14,
22/7, 3.1416). Explain or show your reasoning.
Solution

The constant of proportionality is about 3.14. The given diameters are multiplied by 3.14 to find the
missing circumferences. The given circumferences are divided by 3.14 to find the missing diameters.
Both the missing circumferences and the missing diameters have been rounded.
Problem 3
(from Unit 3, Lesson 2)
1. Name a segment that is a radius. How long is it?
2. Name a segment that is a diameter. How long is it?

Solution
1. Answers vary. Sample responses: AC, AD, AB, AE, AG, 7.5 cm
2. CD, 15 cm

Problem 4
(from Unit 2, Lesson 10)
1. Consider the equation y=1.5x+2. Find four pairs of x and y values that make the equation
true. Plot the points (x,y) on the coordinate plane.
2. Based on the graph, can this be a proportional relationship? Why or why not?

Solution
1. Answers vary. Sample response:

2. Answers vary. Sample response: No, this relationship could not be proportional because the
graph does not go through (0,0).
Lesson 4
Problem 1
Here is a picture of a Ferris wheel. It has a diameter of 80 meters.

1. On the picture, draw and label a diameter.

2. How far does a rider travel in one complete rotation around the Ferris wheel?

Solution
1. Answers vary. Possible response:

2.
3. In one complete rotation, a rider travels the circumference of the Ferris wheel. This distance
⋅
is 80 π, or about 251 meters. Since the gondola where the rider is seated is a little bit
further from the center of the Ferris wheel than 40 meters, the distance the rider travels is
actually a little more.

Problem 2
Identify each measurement as the diameter, radius, or circumference of the circular object. Then,
estimate the other two measurements for the circle.

1. The length of the minute hand on a clock is 5 in.

2. The distance across a sink drain is 3.8 cm.
3. The tires on a mining truck are 14 ft tall.
4. The fence around a circular pool is 75 ft long.
5. The distance from the tip of a slice of pizza to the crust is 7 in.
6. Breaking a cookie in half creates a straight side 10 cm long.
7. The length of the metal rim around a glass lens is 190 mm.
8. From the center to the edge of a DVD measures 60 mm.

Solution
1. Radius; diameter: 10 in, circumference: about 31 in
2. Diameter; radius: 1.9 cm, circumference: about 12 cm
3. Diameter; radius: 7 ft, circumference: about 44 ft
4. Circumference; diameter: about 24 ft, radius: about 12 ft
5. Radius; diameter: 14 in, circumference: about 44 in
6. Diameter; radius: 5 cm, circumference: about 31 cm
7. Circumference; diameter: about 60 mm, radius: about 30 mm
8. Radius; diameter: 120 mm, circumference: about 380 mm

Problem 3
A half circle is joined to an equilateral triangle with side lengths of 12 units. What is the perimeter of
the resulting shape?

Solution
about 42.84 units. The two sides of the triangle each contribute 12 units and the semi-circle has a
⋅
perimeter of 6 π or about 18.84 units.

Problem 4
Circle A has a diameter of 1 foot. Circle B has a circumference of 1 meter. Which circle is bigger?
Explain your reasoning. (1 inch = 2.54 centimeters)

Solution
Circle B is bigger. Answers vary. Possible explanation: There are 12 inches in 1 foot. The
⋅ ⋅ ⋅
circumference of Circle A is about 95.8 cm because 1 12 2.54 π≈95.8. The circumference of Circle
B is 100 cm because there are 100 cm in 1 m.

Problem 5
(from Unit 3, Lesson 3)
The circumference of Tyler's bike tire is 72 inches. What is the diameter of the tire?

Solution
72÷π or about 23 inches.

Lesson 5
Problem 1
The diameter of a bike wheel is 27 inches. If the wheel makes 15 complete rotations, how far does
the bike travel?

Solution

⋅
405 π or about 1,272 inches (106 feet)

Problem 2
The wheels on Kiran's bike are 64 inches in circumference. How many times do the wheels rotate if
Kiran rides 300 yards?

Solution
About 169 times. There are 36 inches in a yard so 10,800 inches in 300 yards and 10,800÷64≈169.

Problem 3
(from Unit 3, Lesson 4)
The numbers are measurements of radius, diameter, and circumference of circles A and B. Circle A is
smaller than circle B. Which number belongs to which quantity? 2.5, 5, 7.6, 15.2, 15.7, 47.7

Solution
Circle A: radius 2.5, diameter 5, circumference 15.7 Circle B: radius 7.6, diameter 15.2,
circumference 47.7

Problem 4
(from Unit 3, Lesson 3)
Circle A has circumference 2 2/3 m. Circle B has a diameter that is 1 1/2 times as long as Circle A’s
diameter. What is the circumference of Circle B?

Solution
4 m. If the diameter of Circle B is 112 times larger than Circle A, its circumference must be as well.
We can rewrite to calculate: (8/3)(3/2)=4.
Problem 5
(from Unit 3, Lesson 2)
The length of segment AE is 5 centimeters.

1. What is the length of segment CD?

2. What is the length of segment AB?
3. Name a segment that has the same length as segment AB.

Solution
1. 10 cm
2. 5 cm
3. Answers vary. Sample responses: CA, AF, AD, AG, AE

Lesson 6
Problem 1 Find the area of the polygon.

Solution
20 cm2 since the shape can be divided (vertically) into rectangles of area 2, 6, and 12 square
centimeters.

Problem 2
1. Draw polygons on the map that could be used to approximate the area of Virginia.

2.
3. Which measurements would you need to know in order to calculate an approximation of the
area of Virginia? Label the sides of the polygons whose measurements you would need.
(Note: You aren’t being asked to calculate anything.)

Solution
1. Answers vary. There are many possible ways to draw polygons that would approximate the
area of Virginia. One sample response is shown below. Other choices could be made to
yield a more or less precise approximation.

2.
3. Answers vary. For rectangles, parallelograms, and triangles, you need both base and height.
In the example above, the variables represent measurements needed to find the area of the
polygons.

Problem 3
(from Unit 3, Lesson 5)
Jada’s bike wheels have a diameter of 20 inches. How far does she travel if the wheels rotate 37
times?

Solution

⋅ ⋅
37 20 π or about 2,325 in.

Problem 4
(from Unit 3, Lesson 4)

The radius of the earth is approximately 6400 km. The equator is the circle around the earth dividing it
into the northern and southern hemisphere. (The center of the earth is also the center of the equator.)
What is the length of the equator?

Solution

⋅⋅
6400 2 π is about 40,000 km

Problem 5
(from Unit 2, Lesson 1)

Here are several recipes for sparkling lemonade. For each recipe describe how many tablespoons of
lemonade mix it takes per cup of sparkling water.

Recipe 1: 4 tablespoons lemonade mix and 12 cups of sparkling water

Recipe 2: 4 tablespoons of lemonade mix and 6 cups of sparkling water

Recipe 3: 3 tablespoons of lemonade mix and 5 cups of sparkling water

Recipe 4: 12 tablespoon of lemonade mix and 3/4 cups of sparkling water

Solution
Recipe 1: 4/12 or 1/3 tablespoons lemonade mix per cup of sparkling water

Recipe 2: 4/6 or 2/3 tablespoons lemonade mix per cup of sparkling water

Recipe 3: 3/5 or 0.6 tablespoons of lemonade mix per cup of sparkling water

Recipe 4: 1/2÷3/4 or 2/3 tablespoon of lemonade mix per cup of sparkling water

Lesson 7
Problem 1
The x-axis of each graph has the diameter of a circle in meters. Label the y-axis on each graph with
the appropriate measurement of a circle: radius (m), circumference (m), or area (m 2). Explain how you
know.

Solution
The first graph shows the relationship between the diameter and area of a circle, because it is not a
proportional relationship. The second graph shows the relationship between the diameter and the
radius, because it is proportional and the constant of proportionality is 1/2. The third graph shows the
relationship between the diameter and the circumference, because is it proportional and the constant
of proportionality is π.
Problem 2
1. Here is a picture of two squares and a circle. Use the picture to explain why the area of this
circle is more than 2 square units but less than 4 square units.

2.
3. Here is another picture of two squares and a circle. Use the picture to explain why the area
of this circle is more than 18 square units and less than 36 square units.

4.

Solution
1. The square inside the circle has an area of 2 square units because it is made of 4 triangles
each with area 1/2 square unit, and 4/2=2. The square outside the circle has an area of 4
square units, because 22=4.
2. The square inside the circle has an area of 18 square units because 12+12/2=18 (the square
inside the circle contains 12 full grid squares and 12 half grid squares). The square outside
the circle has an area of 36 square units because 62=36.

Problem 3
Circle A has area 500 in2. The diameter of circle B is three times the diameter of circle A. Estimate the
area of circle B.

Solution
About 4,500 in2. If the diameter is 3 times greater, the area must be 3 2, or 9 times greater.

Problem 4
(from Unit 3, Lesson 5)

Lin’s bike travels 100 meters when her wheels rotate 55 times. What is the circumference of her
wheels?

Solution
About 1.82 meters because 100÷55≈1.82

Problem 5
(from Unit 3, Lesson 3)

Find the circumference of this circle.

Solution

⋅
About 47 cm because 15 π≈47

Problem 6
(from Unit 3, Lesson 3)
Priya drew a circle whose circumference is 25 cm. Clare drew a circle whose diameter is 3 times the
diameter of Priya's circle. What is the circumference of Clare's circle?

Solution
75 cm

Lesson 8
Problem 1
The picture shows a circle divided into 8 equal wedges which are rearranged.

The radius of the circle is r and its circumference is 2πr. How does the picture help to explain why the
area of the circle is πr2?

Solution
The rearranged shape looks more and more like a rectangle as the circle is cut into more pieces. The
length of the rectangle is about half of the circumference of the circle or πr, and its height is roughly
the radius r. So the area of the rectangle (and of the circle) is πr2.

Problem 2
A circle’s circumference is approximately 76 cm. Estimate the radius, diameter, and area of the circle.

Solution
The radius is approximately 12 cm. The diameter is approximately 24 cm. The area is approximately
460 cm2.

Problem 3
Jada paints a circular table that has a diameter of 37 inches. What is the area of the table?

Solution
About 1,075 in2

Problem 4
(from Unit 3, Lesson 4)

The Carousel on the National Mall has 4 rings of horses. Kiran is riding on the inner ring, which has a
radius of 9 feet. Mai is riding on the outer ring, which is 8 feet farther out from the center than the
inner ring is.

1. In one rotation of the carousel, how much farther does Mai travel than Kiran?
2. One rotation of the carousel takes 12 seconds. How much faster does Mai travel than Kiran?

Solution
1. about 106.8−56.5, or 50.3 feet farther
2. about 50.3÷12, or 4.2 feet per second faster
Problem 5
(from Unit 3, Lesson 5)

Here are the diameters of four coins:

1. A coin rolls a distance of 33 cm in 5 rotations. Which coin is it?

2. A quarter makes 8 rotations. How far did it roll?
3. A dime rolls 41.8 cm. How many rotations did it make?

Solution
1. Nickel because 33÷5÷π≈2.1
⋅ ⋅
2. About 60.3 cm because 2.4 π 8≈60.3
3. About 7 because 41.8÷π÷1.8≈7

Lesson 9
Problem 1
A circle with a 12 inch diameter is folded in half and then folded in half again. What is the area of the
resulting shape?

Solution

⋅
9π in2, or about 28 in , because 1/4 62π=9π
2
Problem 2
Find the area of the shaded region. Express your answer in terms of π.

Solution
Problem 3
(from Unit 3, Lesson 8)

The face of a clock has a circumference of 63 in. What is the area of the face of the clock?

Solution
About 316 in2. Divide 63 by π and by 2 to determine the radius of the clock. 63÷2÷π≈10. To find the
area of the face of the clock multiply πby 102.

Problem 4
(from Unit 3, Lesson 7)

Which of these pairs of quantities are proportional to each other? For the quantities that are
proportional, what is the constant of proportionality?
 1. Radius and diameter of a circle
2. Radius and circumference of a circle
3. Radius and area of a circle
4. Diameter and circumference of a circle
5. Diameter and area of a circle

Solution
1. Yes. The diameter is twice the radius so the constant of proportionality is either 2 or 1/2.
2. Yes. The circumference is 2π times the radius so the constant of proportionality is either 2π
or 1/2π.
3. No
4. Yes. The circumference is π times the diameter so the constant of proportionality is either π
or 1/π.
5. No

Problem 5 (from Unit 3, Lesson 6)

Find the area of this shape in two different ways.

Solution
10 m2. Explanations vary. Sample responses:

1. It is a rectangle of area 12 m2 with a triangle of area 2 m2 missing.

2. It is a rectangle of area 6 m2 plus a rectangle of area 2 m2 plus a triangle of area 2 m2.

Problem 6
(from Unit 2, Lesson 5)
Elena and Jada both read at a constant rate, but Elena reads more slowly. For every 4 pages that
Elena can read, Jada can read 5.

1. Complete the table.

2. Here is an equation for the table: j=1.25e. What does the 1.25 mean?
3. Write an equation for this relationship that starts e=...
Solution

1.
2. For every one page that Elena reads, Jada reads 1.25 pages.
3. e=4/5j or e=0.8j

Lesson 10
Problem 1
For each problem, decide whether the circumference of the circle or the area of the circle is most
useful for finding a solution. Explain your reasoning.

1. A car’s wheels spin at 1000 revolutions per minute. The diameter of the wheels is 23 inches.
You want to know how fast the car is travelling.
2. A circular kitchen table has a diameter of 60 inches. You want to know how much fabric is
needed to cover the table top.
3. A circular puzzle is 20 inches in diameter. All of the pieces are about the same size. You
want to know about how many pieces there are in the puzzle.
4. You want to know about how long it takes to walk around a circular pond.

Solution
1. Circumference. The circumference of the wheels and the number of revolutions per minute
tells you how far the car is traveling and this can be used to calculate the speed.
2. Area. The fabric covers the surface of the table and it is this area that is needed.
3. Area. The area of the puzzle divided by the area of a puzzle piece will give an estimate of
the number of pieces.
4. Circumference. You need to know the distance around the pond which is its circumference.

Problem 2
The city of Paris, France is completely contained within an almost circular road that goes around the
edge. Use the map with its scale to:
 1. Estimate the circumference of Paris.
2. Estimate the area of Paris.

Solution
Answers vary. Sample response:

1. About 6π miles (or about 20 miles)

2. About (3)2π mi2 (or about 30 mi2)
Problem 3
Here is a diagram of a softball field:

1. About how long is the fence around the field?

2. About how big is the outfield?

Solution
Answers vary. Sample responses:

1. 500+125π (or about 893 ft): This estimate assumes that the curved boundary of the outfield
is modeled by a quarter circle.
2. 12,600π (or about 39,600 ft2): The area of the full softball field, modeled by a quarter circle,
⋅ ⋅
is 1/4 π 2502 or 15,625π square feet. The infield, which needs to be subtracted, has about
the same area as a circle of radius 55 feet or 3,025π square feet. The difference is
12,600π square feet. Note that if we draw a circle with diameter 110 feet (where the 110
foot measurement is marked), it misses some of the lower left part of the infield but also
contains some extra area below the softball field so this is a good estimate.
 Problem 4
(from Unit 2, Lesson 5)

While in math class, Priya and Kiran come up with two ways of thinking about the proportional
relationship illustrated in the table below.

Both students agree that they need to solve this equation to get to the constant of proportionality:

5k=1750
Read each student’s explanation and answer the questions that follow.

● Priya says, “I can solve this equation by dividing 1750 by 5.”

● Kiran says, “I can solve this equation by multiplying 1750 by 1/5.”
1. What value of k would each student get if they use their own method?
2. How are Priya and Kiran's approach related?
3. Explain how each student might approach the following equation: 2/3k=50.

Solution
1. 350
2. Priya used an inverse operation to solve the equation. Seeing that the operation that binds 5
and k is multiplication, she is using division to get the coefficient of k to be 1. Meanwhile,
Kiran multiplied by the reciprocal of 5 to solve for k.
3. Priya divides by 2/3 since k is being multiplied by 2/3. Her equation is k=50÷2/3. Kiran
⋅
multiplies by the reciprocal of 2/3. His equation is k=3/2 50.