# Area of a Leaf

This post is to outline step by step solution on how to find the area of the leaf made by intersecting semicircles. This is a classical geometry problem. It might be easy for some but if this is your first time to see this problem, I doubt if you can solve it for 3 minutes.

In the figure, a leaf is made by intersecting 4 semicircles with radius 1.What is the area of  the leaf made?

[toggle title=”Solution:”]

Label the figure accordingly and locate the point of intersection of the semicircles.

Locate the Center of Diameter $\overline{AD}$ label it F. Draw the square AFEG. Shade the figure like shown below.

Shade this part of the figure. The area of the leaf is 8 times of the area of the shaded region.

Area of shaded region = Area of Quarter Circle AFE – Area of triangle AFE

Solving area of Area of Quarter Circle AFE:

$A=\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}\pi(r^2)=\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}\pi (1)=\displaystyle\frac{\pi}{4}$

Solving for Area of triangle AFE:

$A=\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}bh =\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}(1)(1)=\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}$

Area of shaded region= Area of Quarter Circle AFE – Area of triangle AFE

Area of shaded region=$\displaystyle\frac{\pi}{4}-\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}$

Solving for area of leaf:

Area of leaf = 8(Area of shaded region)

Area of leaf =$8(\displaystyle\frac{\pi}{4}-\displaystyle\frac{1}{2})$

Area of leaf =$2\pi -4$

[/toggle]

Got a problem to feature here? Send the problem and solution in the form below. Make sure to include your email.

[CONTACT-US-FORM]

### Dan

Blogger and a Math enthusiast. Has no interest in Mathematics until MMC came. Aside from doing math, he also loves to travel and watch movies.