Difference between revisions of "1998 AIME Problems/Problem 11"
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== Problem == | == Problem == | ||
− | Three of the edges of a | + | Three of the edges of a cube are <math>\overline{AB}, \overline{BC},</math> and <math>\overline{CD},</math> and <math>\overline{AD}</math> is an interior diagonal. Points <math>P, Q,</math> and <math>R</math> are on <math>\overline{AB}, \overline{BC},</math> and <math>\overline{CD},</math> respectively, so that <math>AP = 5, PB = 15, BQ = 15,</math> and <math>CR = 10.</math> What is the area of the polygon that is the intersection of plane <math>PQR</math> and the cube? |
__TOC__ | __TOC__ | ||
== Solution 1 == | == Solution 1 == | ||
− | <span style="font-size:100%">For non-asymptote version of image, see [[:Image:1998_AIME-11.png]]</span> | + | <span style="font-size:100%">"For non-asymptote version of image, see [[:Image:1998_AIME-11.png]]"</span> |
<center><asy> | <center><asy> | ||
import three; | import three; | ||
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</asy></center> | </asy></center> | ||
− | This approach uses [[ | + | This approach uses [[Analytic Geometry|analytic geometry]]. Let <math>A</math> be at the origin, <math>B</math> at <math>(20,0,0)</math>, <math>C</math> at <math>(20,0,20)</math>, and <math>D</math> at <math>(20,20,20)</math>. Thus, <math>P</math> is at <math>(5,0,0)</math>, <math>Q</math> is at <math>(20,0,15)</math>, and <math>R</math> is at <math>(20,10,20)</math>. |
− | Let the plane <math>PQR</math> have the equation <math>ax + by + cz = d</math>. Using point <math>P</math>, we get that <math>5a = d</math>. Using point <math>Q</math>, we get < | + | Let the plane <math>PQR</math> have the equation <math>ax + by + cz = d</math>. Using point <math>P</math>, we get that <math>5a = d</math>. Using point <math>Q</math>, we get <cmath>20a + 15c = d \Longrightarrow 4d + 15c = d \Longrightarrow d = -5c</cmath>Using point <math>R</math>, we get <cmath>20a + 10b + 20c = d \Longrightarrow 4d + 10b - 4d = d \Longrightarrow d = 10b</cmath>Thus plane <math>PQR</math>’s [[equation]] reduces to <cmath>\frac{d}{5}x + \frac{d}{10}y - \frac{d}{5}z = d \Longrightarrow 2x + y - 2z = 10</cmath> |
− | We know need to find the intersection of this plane with that of <math>z = 0</math>, <math>z = 20</math>, <math>x = 0</math>, and <math>y = 20</math>. After doing a little bit of algebra, the intersections are the lines < | + | We know need to find the intersection of this plane with that of <math>z = 0</math>, <math>z = 20</math>, <math>x = 0</math>, and <math>y = 20</math>. After doing a little bit of algebra, the intersections are the lines <cmath>y = -2x + 10</cmath> <cmath>y = -2x + 50</cmath> <cmath>y = 2z + 10</cmath> <cmath>z = x + 5</cmath>Thus, there are three more vertices on the polygon, which are at <math>(0,10,0)(0,20,5)(15,20,20)</math>. |
We can find the lengths of the sides of the polygons now. There are 4 [[right triangle]]s with legs of length 5 and 10, so their [[hypotenuse]]s are <math>5\sqrt{5}</math>. The other two are of <math>45-45-90 \triangle</math>s with legs of length 15, so their hypotenuses are <math>15\sqrt{2}</math>. So we have a [[hexagon]] with sides <math>15\sqrt{2},5\sqrt{5}, 5\sqrt{5},15\sqrt{2}, 5\sqrt{5},5\sqrt{5}</math> By [[symmetry]], we know that opposite angles of the polygon are congruent. We can also calculate the length of the long diagonal by noting that it is of the same length of a face diagonal, making it <math>20\sqrt{2}</math>. | We can find the lengths of the sides of the polygons now. There are 4 [[right triangle]]s with legs of length 5 and 10, so their [[hypotenuse]]s are <math>5\sqrt{5}</math>. The other two are of <math>45-45-90 \triangle</math>s with legs of length 15, so their hypotenuses are <math>15\sqrt{2}</math>. So we have a [[hexagon]] with sides <math>15\sqrt{2},5\sqrt{5}, 5\sqrt{5},15\sqrt{2}, 5\sqrt{5},5\sqrt{5}</math> By [[symmetry]], we know that opposite angles of the polygon are congruent. We can also calculate the length of the long diagonal by noting that it is of the same length of a face diagonal, making it <math>20\sqrt{2}</math>. |
Latest revision as of 11:48, 13 August 2023
Problem
Three of the edges of a cube are and
and
is an interior diagonal. Points
and
are on
and
respectively, so that
and
What is the area of the polygon that is the intersection of plane
and the cube?
Contents
Solution 1
"For non-asymptote version of image, see Image:1998_AIME-11.png"
![[asy] import three; size(280); defaultpen(linewidth(0.6)+fontsize(9)); currentprojection=perspective(30,-60,40); triple A=(0,0,0),B=(20,0,0),C=(20,0,20),D=(20,20,20); triple P=(5,0,0),Q=(20,0,15),R=(20,10,20),Pa=(15,20,20),Qa=(0,20,5),Ra=(0,10,0); draw(box((0,0,0),(20,20,20))); draw(P--Q--R--Pa--Qa--Ra--cycle,linewidth(0.7)); label("\(A\,(0,0,0)\)",A,SW); label("\(B\,(20,0,0)\)",B,S); label("\(C\,(20,0,20)\)",C,SW); label("\(D\,(20,20,20)\)",D,E); label("\(P\,(5,0,0)\)",P,SW); label("\(Q\,(20,0,15)\)",Q,E); label("\(R\,(20,10,20)\)",R,E); label("\((15,20,20)\)",Pa,N); label("\((0,20,5)\)",Qa,W); label("\((0,10,0)\)",Ra,W); [/asy]](http://latex.artofproblemsolving.com/c/c/0/cc024d2670aaa65c924626f7202dd7e39ce014b5.png)
This approach uses analytic geometry. Let be at the origin,
at
,
at
, and
at
. Thus,
is at
,
is at
, and
is at
.
Let the plane have the equation
. Using point
, we get that
. Using point
, we get
Using point
, we get
Thus plane
’s equation reduces to
We know need to find the intersection of this plane with that of ,
,
, and
. After doing a little bit of algebra, the intersections are the lines
Thus, there are three more vertices on the polygon, which are at
.
We can find the lengths of the sides of the polygons now. There are 4 right triangles with legs of length 5 and 10, so their hypotenuses are . The other two are of
s with legs of length 15, so their hypotenuses are
. So we have a hexagon with sides
By symmetry, we know that opposite angles of the polygon are congruent. We can also calculate the length of the long diagonal by noting that it is of the same length of a face diagonal, making it
.
![[asy] size(190); pointpen=black;pathpen=black; real s=2^.5; pair P=(0,0),Q=(7.5*s,2.5*s),R=Q+(0,15*s),Pa=(0,20*s),Qa=(-Q.x,Q.y),Ra=(-R.x,R.y); D(P--Q--R--Pa--Ra--Qa--cycle);D(R--Ra);D(Q--Qa);D(P--Pa); MP("15\sqrt{2}",(Q+R)/2,E); MP("5\sqrt{5}",(P+Q)/2,SE); MP("5\sqrt{5}",(R+Pa)/2,NE); MP("20\sqrt{2}",(P+Pa)/2,W); [/asy]](http://latex.artofproblemsolving.com/e/a/7/ea7bc05babcdcc882d8ac16161375c66d2551c11.png)
The height of the triangles at the top/bottom is . The Pythagorean Theorem gives that half of the base of the triangles is
. We find that the middle rectangle is actually a square, so the total area is
.
Solution 2
First, note that whenever the plane intersects two opposite faces of the cube, the resulting line segments must be parallel. Because they are part of parallel planes (the faces), they must be either parallel or skew; they are both part of plane , so they cannot be skew. Therefore, they are parallel.
Let the cube's vertices be ,
,
,
,
,
,
, and
, with
,
, and
on the bottom face as before,
being the other bottom vertex,
directly above
,
above
,
above
, and
above
.
Clearly, the next vertex of the intersection (starting with ,
,
) will be somewhere on
. Let it be
, and have a distance of
from D, and a distance of
from
.
Then, the next vertex will be somewhere on . It must be parallel to
, so this implies that it has a distance of
from
, and thus a distance of
from
.
Now, the next vertex (call it ) will be somewhere on
. The segment must be parallel to
, so
must have length
, and
must be
.
Since ,
, and
, we must have
; therefore,
We can now find that the hexagon has side lengths ,
,
,
,
, and
. Moreover, opposite angles of this must be equal (by symmetry), so segment
divides the hexagon into two isosceles trapezoids. It is easy to find the length of
(they're midpoints of opposite edges, so the distance between the two points is equal to a face diagonal of the cube, or
), so it is now easy to finish the problem. From here, we can continue as in the first solution.
See also
1998 AIME (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
Preceded by Problem 10 |
Followed by Problem 12 | |
1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 | ||
All AIME Problems and Solutions |
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