Difference between revisions of "1986 AJHSME Problems/Problem 13"

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The perimeter of the polygon shown is  
 
The perimeter of the polygon shown is  
  
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<center>
 
<asy>
 
<asy>
 
draw((0,0)--(0,6)--(8,6)--(8,3)--(2.7,3)--(2.7,0)--cycle);
 
draw((0,0)--(0,6)--(8,6)--(8,3)--(2.7,3)--(2.7,0)--cycle);
 
label("$6$",(0,3),W);
 
label("$6$",(0,3),W);
 
label("$8$",(4,6),N);
 
label("$8$",(4,6),N);
 +
draw((0.5,0)--(0.5,0.5)--(0,0.5));
 +
draw((0.5,6)--(0.5,5.5)--(0,5.5));
 +
draw((7.5,6)--(7.5,5.5)--(8,5.5));
 +
draw((7.5,3)--(7.5,3.5)--(8,3.5));
 +
draw((2.2,0)--(2.2,0.5)--(2.7,0.5));
 +
draw((2.7,2.5)--(3.2,2.5)--(3.2,3));
 
</asy>
 
</asy>
 +
</center>
  
 
<math>\text{(A)}\ 14 \qquad \text{(B)}\ 20 \qquad \text{(C)}\ 28 \qquad \text{(D)}\ 48</math>
 
<math>\text{(A)}\ 14 \qquad \text{(B)}\ 20 \qquad \text{(C)}\ 28 \qquad \text{(D)}\ 48</math>
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==Solution==
 
==Solution==
  
===Solution 1===
+
You might have not seen this coming but there is a very simple way to do this. If we try to make a rectangle out of this, we have to take out both of the lines that are taking out part of the rectangle we want to make. but now we see that to finish the rectangle, we have to use those same irregular lines!
 
 
For the segments parallel to the side with side length 8, let's call those two segments <math>a</math> and <math>b</math>, the longer segment being <math>b</math>, the shorter one being <math>a</math>.
 
 
 
For the segments parallel to the side with side length 6, let's call those two segments <math>c</math> and <math>d</math>, the longer segment being <math>d</math>, the shorter one being <math>c</math>.
 
 
 
So the perimeter of the polygon would be...
 
 
 
<math>8 + 6 + a + b + c + d</math>
 
 
 
Note that <math>a + b = 8</math>, and <math>c + d = 6</math>.
 
 
 
Now we plug those in:
 
<cmath>\begin{align*}
 
8 + 6 + a + b + c + d &= 8 + 6 + 8 + 6 \\
 
&= 14 \times 2 \\
 
&= 28 \\
 
\end{align*}</cmath>
 
 
 
28 is <math>\boxed{\text{C}}</math>.
 
 
 
===Solution 2===
 
  
 
<asy>
 
<asy>
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</asy>
 
</asy>
  
Clearly the perimeter of the requested region is the same as the perimeter of the rectangle with the dashed portion. This makes the answer obviously <math>2(6+8)=28\rightarrow \boxed{\text{C}}</math>
+
So all we have to do is find the perimeter of the shape as if it would be a rectangle. After that, we get <math>\boxed{\text{(C) 28}}</math>.
 
 
''Note: the answer is E. The problem never specified that opposite sides were parallel, or that there were any right angles.''
 
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
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{{AJHSME box|year=1986|num-b=12|num-a=14}}
 
{{AJHSME box|year=1986|num-b=12|num-a=14}}
 
[[Category:Introductory Geometry Problems]]
 
[[Category:Introductory Geometry Problems]]
 +
{{MAA Notice}}

Latest revision as of 10:01, 28 June 2023

Problem

The perimeter of the polygon shown is

[asy] draw((0,0)--(0,6)--(8,6)--(8,3)--(2.7,3)--(2.7,0)--cycle); label("$6$",(0,3),W); label("$8$",(4,6),N); draw((0.5,0)--(0.5,0.5)--(0,0.5)); draw((0.5,6)--(0.5,5.5)--(0,5.5)); draw((7.5,6)--(7.5,5.5)--(8,5.5)); draw((7.5,3)--(7.5,3.5)--(8,3.5)); draw((2.2,0)--(2.2,0.5)--(2.7,0.5)); draw((2.7,2.5)--(3.2,2.5)--(3.2,3)); [/asy]

$\text{(A)}\ 14 \qquad \text{(B)}\ 20 \qquad \text{(C)}\ 28 \qquad \text{(D)}\ 48$

$\text{(E)}\ \text{cannot be determined from the information given}$

Solution

You might have not seen this coming but there is a very simple way to do this. If we try to make a rectangle out of this, we have to take out both of the lines that are taking out part of the rectangle we want to make. but now we see that to finish the rectangle, we have to use those same irregular lines!

[asy] unitsize(12); draw((0,0)--(0,6)--(8,6)--(8,3)--(2.7,3)--(2.7,0)--cycle); label("$6$",(0,3),W); label("$8$",(4,6),N); draw((8,3)--(8,0)--(2.7,0),dashed); [/asy]

So all we have to do is find the perimeter of the shape as if it would be a rectangle. After that, we get $\boxed{\text{(C) 28}}$.

See Also

1986 AJHSME (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 12
Followed by
Problem 14
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
All AJHSME/AMC 8 Problems and Solutions

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