Problem 3

Five rectangles, $A$ , $B$ , $C$ , $D$ , and $E$ , are arranged in a square as shown below. These rectangles have dimensions $1\times6$ , $2\times4$ , $5\times6$ , $2\times7$ , and $2\times3$ , respectively. (The figure is not drawn to scale.) Which of the five rectangles is the shaded one in the middle?

$[asy] fill((3,2.5)--(3,4.5)--(5.3,4.5)--(5.3,2.5)--cycle,mediumgray); draw((0,0)--(7,0)--(7,7)--(0,7)--(0,0)); draw((3,0)--(3,4.5)); draw((0,4.5)--(5.3,4.5)); draw((5.3,7)--(5.3,2.5)); draw((7,2.5)--(3,2.5)); [/asy]$

$\textbf{(A) }A\qquad\textbf{(B) }B \qquad\textbf{(C) }C \qquad\textbf{(D) }D\qquad\textbf{(E) }E$

Solution 1 (List)

Let's label some points.

$[asy] fill((3,2.5)--(3,4.5)--(5.3,4.5)--(5.3,2.5)--cycle,mediumgray); draw((0,0)--(7,0)--(7,7)--(0,7)--(0,0)); draw((3,0)--(3,4.5)); draw((0,4.5)--(5.3,4.5)); draw((5.3,7)--(5.3,2.5)); draw((7,2.5)--(3,2.5)); label("A",(0,0),S); label("B",(3,0),S); label("C",(7,0),S); label("D",(7.5,3),S); label("E",(7.5,7.8),S); label("F",(5.5,7.8),S); label("G",(-.5,7.8),S); label("H",(-.5,5),S); [/asy]$

By finding the dimensions of the middle rectangle, we need to find the dimensions of the other 4 rectangles. By doing this, there is going to be a rule.

Rule: $AB + BC = CD + DE = EF + FG = GH + AH$

Let's make a list of all the dimensions of the rectangles from the diagram. We have to fill in the dimensions from up above, but still apply to the rule.

$AB\times AH$

$CD\times BC$

$EF\times DE$

$GH\times FG$

By applying the rule, we get $AB=2, BC=6, CD=5, DE=3, EF=2, FG=6, GH=1$ , and $AH=7$ .

By substitution, we get this list

$2\times 7$

$5\times 6$

$2\times 3$

$1\times 6$

This also tells us that the diagram is not drawn to scale, lol.

Notice how the only dimension not used in the list was $2\times 4$ and that corresponds with B so the answer is, $\textbf{(B) }B.$

~ghfhgvghj10 & Education, the study of everything.

Solution 2 (Perimeter of Square)

Note that the perimeter of the square is the sum of 4 pairs of dimensions (8 values are added). Adding up all of the dimensions ( $2+7+5+6+2+3+1+6+2+4$ ) gives us 38. We know that as the square's side length is an integer, the perimeter must be divisible by 4. Testing out by subtracting all 5 pairs of dimensions from 38, only $2\times4$ works ( $38-2-4=32=8\cdot4$ ), which corresponds with $\boxed{\textbf{(B) }B}$ .

~iluvme

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2022 AMC 12A Problems/Problem 3

Problem 3

Solution 1 (List)

Solution 2 (Perimeter of Square)