Cake Dimensions

Question

Will a cake made from a 12 inch square pan and a 12 inch diameter circular pan make twice as much cake as a cake made from a 6 inch square pan and a 6 inch 6 inch diameter pan?

Answer 1

This question requires that you understand how the measurements of pans are indicated.

 

A "12-inch square" pan is a square pan with each side being 12 inches.  Note:  this is different, for example, from a computer or TV screen which is measured diagonally.

 

So, the formulas for area become important.

 

A cake made in a square pan that has each size twice the length of a side in a smaller pan makes four times as much cake.

 

Now, apply the formula for the area of a circle ( A = πr²  ) and determine how many times as much cake that is compared to a cake that is:     A = π(r/2)².