Problem of the Week - Algebra and Up - Jan. 10, 2021 to Jan. 16, 2021

Algebra and Up: 

Question: Some species of pufferfish draw circles in the sandy seafloor to communicate. If a pufferfish draws a circle whose diameter is 12 times the length of the fish's body, then how many times the length of the fish is the circumference of the circle? 

Answer: 12π

Solution:  The circumference of a circle is its diameter multiplied by π. If we say that P is the length of the pufferfish, then we can then say that the diameter is 12P, so the circumference is 12Pπ. If we divide out the length of the pufferfish, we find that the circumference is 12π times the length of the pufferfish.