Wastage is not always a waste

At times, in geometry questions, we have symmetrical figures inscribed in other symmetrical figures e.g. a
circle inscribed in a square, a circle inscribed in an equilateral triangle etc. and we have to find the
common/wastage areas of such figures. In such cases, the concept of wastage of area may be helpful. Just
to explain what this wastage area is all about, lets take an example.

Example: A square paper has an area of 484 sq. cm. The largest possible circle is cut from this paper, what
% area of the paper is wasted?

Solution: In this case the area of square is 484 sq. cm. Hence the side of the square will be 22 cm.
So the diameter of the circle will be 22 cm. Area of the inscribed circle = r2 = 121 cm2.
The area wasted at the four corners = (484 121 ) cm2.
484 121 100 21.5%.
%age area wasted =
484
Let me also make it clear to you that as the question was asking about the percentage change, the actual
sides or area does not matter i.e. even if you take the side of the square to be 2 or 1, the answer will remain
the same. This has universal application, whenever the percentage wastage is asked; any figure that makes
your calculations easier can be taken.
Now here the area of the big square is 484 cm2. If we take any square with side of any length and a largest
circle is cut inside this square, the area wasted would always be 21.5% and the area used/ inside the circle
will be 78.5%. Similarly, if the largest possible square is cut/drawn inside the circle, then the % area wasted
will be equal to 36.3%. On the same lines, if the largest possible cube is cut from a sphere, then the
percentage volume wasted is 63% or the volume of cube is 37% of the volume of the sphere.
Some other important universal results are as follows:
Outer figure
Square
Circle
Equilateral triangle
Circle
Square
Equilateral triangle
Semicircle

Inner figure
Largest circle
Largest square
Largest circle
Largest equilateral triangle
Largest equilateral triangle
Largest Square
Largest Square

Wastage (%)
21.5
36.36
39
59
67
51
49

In case your brain cells are buzzing now with this new tip that you have learnt, and you wish to discover how
some of the above percentages were discovered, you have your home task: try to figure out how the above
values were derived; this should be fun exercise for those who love mathematical wonders.
*Due to symmetry, all the corners will have equal percentage wastages.