GMAT OFFICIAL GUIDE PS

Solution:

We are given that a square has a 20-inch diagonal, and we must solve for the perimeter of the square. This means we first need to know the length of a side of the square. To determine the length of a side we can use the diagonal formula for a square. We know that:

diagonal of a square = side√2 = s√2

20 = s√2

s = 20/√2

To help with our math we can multiply 20/√2 by √2/√2. This gives us:

s = 20/√2 × √2/√2 = 20√2/√4

s = 20√2/2 = 10√2

We also should have memorized that the approximate value of √2 is 1.4. Thus one side of the square is about 10 x 1.4 = 14 inches.

Finally, the perimeter of the square is 4 x 14 = 56. Since we are asked to approximate, the closest answer is 60.

Answer: B

About The Author

Jeffrey Miller is the head GMAT instructor for Target Test Prep. Jeff has more than fourteen years of experience in the business of helping students with low GMAT scores hurdle the seemingly impossible and achieve the scores they need to get into the top 20 business school programs in the world, including HBS, Stanford, Wharton, and Columbia. Jeff has cultivated many successful business school graduates through his GMAT instruction, and will be a pivotal resource for many more to follow.