in the figure, each side of square ABCD..

[cristychopra83]

[img]C:\Users\HOME\Desktop\gmatprep.PNG[/img]

Hi, Could you please help me with this question? I could not figure out how to even begin with this :(

Many many thanks

[cristychopra83]

Sorry, how do i put an image?

[RonPurewal]

Sorry, how do i put an image?

if the picture is already on the internet, then you can change the stuff inside the first set of brackets from
img
to
img=http://xxxxxxxxxxx
where 'xxxxxxxxxxx' is the web address of the picture.

if the picture is not already on the internet, then you can post it to an image hosting site (e.g., postimage.org) and then do the above, or else just post a link to it.

[RonPurewal]

also—you still need to TYPE OUT ALL TEXT in the problem. that means everything consisting of words and numbers (including captions, if any, from pictures/diagrams).

it is absolutely crucial that you do so. if you don't, then the thread will be impossible to find in a search.

[cristychopra83]

also—you still need to TYPE OUT ALL TEXT in the problem. that means everything consisting of words and numbers (including captions, if any, from pictures/diagrams).

it is absolutely crucial that you do so. if you don't, then the thread will be impossible to find in a search.

Thanks Ron, I tried, somehow the Image doesnt show up. Here is the link of the image :

http://postimg.org/image/dny4dwsef/

The question is : In the figure, each side of square ABCD has length 1, the length of line Segment CE is 1, and the length of line segment BE is equal to the length of line segment DE. What is the area of the triangular region BCE?

A. 1/3

B. 2√4

C. 1/2

D. 2√2

E. 3/4

[tim]

A. 1/3

B. 2√4

C. 1/2

D. 2√2

E. 3/4

Please double check the answer choices. None of these is correct.

[RonPurewal]

yes, please double-check the answer choices; something is definitely wrong with them (especially "2√4"... the expression 2√4 is equal to 4, so, any such answer choice would just say '4').

thanks.

[MichelleK617]

Do we have the updated version of the answer choices? is the answer square root of 3 over 4? (sorry I don't know how to type the square root sign)

[Chelsey Cooley]

Do you have a copy of the original answer choices that GMAT Prep showed when you found the problem? Feel free to type out 'square root' if you need to, or copy and paste the square root symbol from your first post.

[sahilk47]

Do you have a copy of the original answer choices that GMAT Prep showed when you found the problem? Feel free to type out 'square root' if you need to, or copy and paste the square root symbol from your first post.

Hi Chelsey

For the benefit of the group, please find below the question and the answer options:

In the figure, each side of square ABCD has length 1, the length of line Segment CE is 1, and the length of line segment BE is equal to the length of line segment DE. What is the area of the triangular region BCE?

A. 1/3

B. √2/4

C. 1/2

D. √2/2

E. 3/4

The correct option is (B).

Thank you.

[RonPurewal]

thanks.

to the original poster (or anyone else here with questions):

"i had no idea how to even start this" is not a valid way to begin a discussion.

1/
first of all, this is almost certainly not true.
you probably started the problem in some way, and then got stuck at some very specific point(s) along the way.

2/
in the unlikely event that this actually is true—i.e., if you actually looked at this problem and thought, "wow, i have NO idea what's even happening here, and NO clue of ANYTHING i can possibly do"—then you're better off leaving the problem and returning to it later.
if we merely post what amounts to an 'answer key', that won't help you—and then you'd waste the problem! (remember, official problems are a precious resource.)

so...
please post specifics about the issue(s) you're having with the problem.
what was your approach?
what did you understand?
what didn't you understand?
where did you get stuck?
did you try any alternate approaches?
etc.

thanks.

[AnuH387]

hi Ron,


I tried to solve this problem by assuming that BE is equal to the diagonal of the ABCD as BC and CE is 1 ( this was an unwarranted assumption) . So I got 1/2 as the answer for the area of the triangle BCE.
But this answer is wrong .
Then I tried to find the angles DCE and BCE is 135 (360-90/2).. but I that dint help..


I couldnt proceed further ..

Thanks in advance for the help .


Regards,
Anu

[RonPurewal]

hi Ron,


I tried to solve this problem by assuming that BE is equal to the diagonal of the ABCD as BC and CE is 1 ( this was an unwarranted assumption) .

it should actually be pretty straightforward to prove that BE is not equal to the diagonal of the square.

if BC and CE were perpendicular, then triangle BCE would be the same as half the square (cut along the diagonal). thus, in that instance, BE would be equal to the diagonal.
since BC and CE are not perpendicular, you know that this is not the case.

[RonPurewal]

you are correct, by the way, that angle BCE is 135º.

now, try drawing a height of triangle BCE, with CE as the base.
to draw this height, you will have to extend BC to the right. (you should ignore DE; once you have ascertained that angle BCE is 135º, it is of no more use to you. you should draw the diagram without DE, to make the rest of your job less confusing.)

once you've extended BC to the right. you can draw the height of the triangle (vertically downward, from point E to the extension of side BC).
let's say 'Q' is the bottom of the height (= the point where it hits your extension of side BC).

then your triangle CQE will be a 45º-45º-90º triangle.
from there it's straightforward to find the height—just use the standard ratios.

finally find the area of triangle BCE, using that height. (remember that the base is just BC—NOT the extended part!)

[RonPurewal]

how does the answer key do it?