Loci Exercises

1. Mr Dumpleton is 2cm from shape Q. Shade the region he could

be in.

Q A

2. Sketch the region in which you are at most 2cm from shape A.

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 3. Draw the locus representing points which are 1cm from the edges 5. Find the locus for which the points are equidistant from lines A
of polygon M (this could include the inside). and B.

M A B B

6. Draw the locus representing points which are equidistant from A

and B.
4. Sketch the region which is at most 5cm from A and 3cm from B.

B A
A
B

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 8. Sketch the region at most 3cm away from A and at most 2cm
away from B.

7. Mr Belemet is tied by a rope, of length 4cm to a fixed point A.

Shade the region in which Mr Belemet can graze.

B
9. Sketch the region where you are at most 2.5cm from A, at least
A 2cm from B, and at most 1.5cm from C.

A B

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 c. Closer to AB than to AD, less than 4cm away from A, and
more than 1cm away from CD.

A B
10. Shade the region within rectangle ABCD which is:
a. Closer to AB than to CD, and closer to BC than to AB.

A B
D C

d. Closer to BC than to AD, more than 3cm away from B, and

closer to AB than to BC.
D C
b. Closer to AB than to CD, and at most 3cm away from A. A B

A B

D C
11.  For the following questions, calculate the area of the locus, in
terms of the given variables (and π where appropriate). Assume
D C
that you could be inside or outside the shape unless otherwise
specified.

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 e. x metres away from the edges of a square of length l . metres.

____________________ ____________________
f. x metres away from the edges of a rectangle of sides w
and h . l. Being attached to one corner on the outside of w × h
square building (which you can’t go inside), by a rope of
length x (where x <w+ h). You may wish to distinguish
____________________ between the cases when x <w and/or x <h and
g. x metres away from the edges of an equilateral triangle otherwise.
of side length y .

____________________
h. Inside a square ABCD of side x metres, being at least x
metres from A, and closer to BC than to CD.

____________________
i. Being inside an equilateral triangle of side 2 x, and at
least x away from each of the vertices.

____________________
j. Being attached to one corner on the outside of x × x
square building (which you can’t go inside), by a rope of
length 2 x.

____________________
k. At most x metres away from an L-shaped building with
two longer of longer sides 2 x and four shorter sides of x

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Answers
1. Mr Dumpleton is 2cm from shape Q. Shade the region he could
be in.

A
Q

2. Sketch the region in which you are at most 2cm from shape A.

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 3. Draw the locus representing points which are 1cm from the edges 5. Find the locus for which the points are equidistant from lines A
of polygon M (this could include the inside). and B.

M A B B

6. Draw the locus representing points which are equidistant from A

and B.
4. Sketch the region which is at most 5cm from A and 3cm from B.
Two circles of radius 5cm and 3cm drawn. Overlap shaded.

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 A
B
A

7. Mr Belemet is tied by a rope, of length 4cm to a fixed point A.

Shade the region in which Mr Belemet can graze.

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 8. Sketch the region at most 3cm away from A and at most 2cm 9. Sketch the region where you are at most 2.5cm from A, at least
away from B. 2cm from B, and at most 1.5cm from C.

A B

C
A
12. Shade the region within rectangle ABCD which is:
a. Closer to AB than to CD, and closer to BC than to AB.
B
A B

D C

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 b. Closer to AB than to CD, and at most 3cm away from A. d. Closer to BC than to AD, more than 3cm away from B, and
closer to AB than to BC.

A B
A B

D C
D C
13.  For the following questions, calculate the area of the locus, in
c. Closer to AB than to AD, less than 4cm away from A, and
terms of the given variables (and π where appropriate). Assume
more than 1cm away from CD.
that you could be inside or outside the shape unless otherwise
specified.
a. x metres away from the edges of a square of length l .
A B 4 exterior rectangles: 4 xl
4 quarter circles forming 1 full circle: π x 2
4 interior rectangles: 4 xl
Total overlap on interior rectangles: 4 x2
Total: 8 xl+ π x 2−4 x 2

D C b. x metres away from the edges of a rectangle of sides w

and h .
Using the same approach as above,
Area: 4 xw+ 4 xl+ π x 2−4 x 2

c. x metres away from the edges of an equilateral triangle

of side length y .

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 3 exterior rectangles: 3 xy Two quarter circles of radius x forming a semicircle:
1 2 1 2
3 sixth circles which form a semicircle: πx πx
2 2
3 interior rectangles (without overlap): 3 x ( y −2 √ 3 x ) 7 2
Total: πx
6 interior corner right-angled triangles: 3 √ 3 x 2 2
1 2
Total: π x +6 xy−3 √ 3 x2
2

d. Inside a square ABCD of side x metres, being at least x

metres from A, and closer to BC than to CD. g. At most x metres away from an L-shaped building with
First calculate area of square minus area of quarter two longer of longer sides 2 x and four shorter sides of x
circle: metres.
1 5
x 2− π x 2Half it: Five quarter-circles of radius x : π x2
4 4
Two rectangles: 4 x2
1 2
x ( 8−π ) Three squares: 3 x 2
8
e. Being inside an equilateral triangle of side 2 x, and at 1 2(
Total: x 5 π+ 28 )
least x away from each of the vertices. 4
Area of entire triangle: √ 3 x2
1 2 h. Being attached to one corner on the outside of w × h
Area of 3 sixth-circles forming semicircle: πx
2 square building (which you can’t go inside), by a rope of
1 2 length x (where x <w+ h). You may wish to distinguish
Total: x ( 2 √ 3−π ) between the cases when x <w and/or x <h and
2
otherwise.
f. Being attached to one corner on the outside of x × x 3
Three quarters of a circle with radius x : π x2
square building (which you can’t go inside), by a rope of 4
length 2 x. If x >w , then we have an additional quarter circle with
3 1
of a circle with radius 2 x: 3 π x 2 area π ( x−w )2.
4 4

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 Similarly, if x >h, we have an additional quarter circle
1 2
with area π ( x−h )
4
If we let max ( a , b ) give the maximum of a and b , then
the total is:

3 1 1
4 ( ) (
π x 2 +max π ( x−w )2 , 0 +max π ( x−h )2 , 0
4 4 )
Note that if were ¿ allow x> w+h , then things start to
get very hairy!

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