The radius of a circle is 10 cm. If the radius is increased by 20%, how do you find the percentage increase in area?

1 Answer
Feb 17, 2017

Solution given in a lot of detail so you can see where everything comes from.

Area increase is 44% of the original area

Explanation:

color(brown)("Note that the % symbol is like a unit of measurement that is")color(brown)("worth "1/100)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Setting up the initial condition and change")

20%" of "10 = 20/100xx10=2 larr" increase in radius"

Original area ->pir^2 = pi10^2 = 100pi

New area -> pir^2=pi12^2=144pi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Determine the percentage change")

Expressing the change as a fraction of the original area we have:

(144pi-100pi)/(100pi)

Factor out the pi from 144pi-100pi giving:

(pi(144-100))/(pixx100)

This is the same as:

pi/pixx44/100" "=" "1xx44/100 = 44/100

This is the same as:

44xx1/100

But 1/100 is the same as % so we have:

44%