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Question

How many triangles are present in the given figure?

The correct answer is
20

1. Identify the Sets of Lines

The figure is composed of three types of lines:

  • Horizontal-ish lines ($H$): There are 5 lines (the bottom base, 3 internal lines, and the top base).
  • Vertical-ish lines ($V$): There are 5 lines (the left side, 3 internal lines, and the right side).
  • Diagonal line ($D$): A single line connecting the bottom-left vertex to the top-right vertex.

2. Understand Triangle Formation

For a triangle to be formed, we need three non-parallel lines that do not all intersect at the same point.

  • Since all lines in set $H$ are parallel to each other, no two lines from $H$ can form a triangle.
  • Similarly, no two lines from set $V$ can form a triangle.
  • Therefore, every triangle in this figure must include the diagonal line ($D$) as one of its sides.
  • To form a triangle with the diagonal, we must choose one line from set $H$ and one line from set $V$ that intersect the diagonal at two different points.

3. Mathematical Calculation

Each intersection of a horizontal line and a vertical line (a "grid point") represents a potential triangle vertex when paired with the diagonal. There are:

$ 5 \text{ (horizontal lines)} \times 5 \text{ (vertical lines)} = 25 \text{ intersection points} $

However, if a horizontal line, a vertical line, and the diagonal line all meet at the same point, they do not form a triangle (the area is zero). In a $4 \times 4$ grid (5 lines by 5 lines) where the diagonal connects opposite corners, the diagonal passes exactly through the grid points where the indices are equal (e.g., $(0,0), (1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4)$).

  • Total intersections: 25
  • Points where the diagonal meets a grid intersection: 5

The number of triangles is the total number of intersections minus the number of points where the lines are concurrent:

$ \text{Total Triangles} = 25 - 5 = 20 $

 

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Important Questions from 2D 3D Pattern Visualization

  1. In Panel I of the figure below, the front view and top view of a structure are shown. Which one of the 3D structures shown in Panel II possesses the views shown in Panel I?

     

  2. Visualize two identical right circular cones such that one is inverted over the other and they share a common circular base. If a cutting plane passes through the vertices of the assembled cones, what shape does the outer boundary of the resulting cross-section make?
  3. Three different views of a dice are shown in the figure below.

    The piece of paper that can be folded to make this dice is

  4. An opaque cylinder (shown below) is suspended in the path of a parallel beam of light, such that its shadow is cast on a screen oriented perpendicular to the direction of the light beam. The cylinder can be reoriented in any direction within the light beam. Under these conditions, which one of the shadows P, Q, R, and S is NOT possible?

  5. The figure shows a grid formed by a collection of unit squares. The unshaded unit square in the grid represents a hole. 

    What is the maximum number of squares without a "hole in the interior" that can be formed within the 4 × 4 grid using the unit squares as building blocks?

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