If an angle of a triangle remains unchanged but each of its two including sides is doubled, then by what factor does the area get multiplied?
Aptitude
Area
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
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A2
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B3
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C4
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D6
Answer
Correct Answer: 4
Explanation
### Concept & Triangle Area with Sine Rule
The area of a triangle can be found using the lengths of two sides and the sine of the included angle:
$$Area = \frac{1}{2} \cdot a \cdot b \cdot \sin(\theta)$$
### Step-by-Step Solution
* Let the original including sides be $a$ and $b$, and the included angle be $\theta$.
* Original Area ($A_1$) = $\frac{1}{2} \cdot a \cdot b \cdot \sin(\theta)$.
* The new sides are doubled, so they become $2a$ and $2b$. The angle $\theta$ remains unchanged.
* New Area ($A_2$) = $\frac{1}{2} \cdot (2a) \cdot (2b) \cdot \sin(\theta)$.
* $A_2 = 4 \cdot (\frac{1}{2} \cdot a \cdot b \cdot \sin(\theta))$.
* $A_2 = 4 \cdot A_1$.
* The area is multiplied by a factor of 4.
### Exam Strategy & Shortcut
Area is a 2D measure dependent on the product of two linear dimensions. If both dimensions are scaled by a factor of 2, the area scales by $2 \times 2 = 4$. The angle is irrelevant as long as it remains constant.
### Common Pitfall
Thinking the area only doubles because the sides are doubled, failing to recognize that the area is proportional to the *product* of the two sides.
### Final Answer
Therefore, the correct answer is **4**.