# Difference between revisions of "2015 AMC 8 Problems/Problem 12"

How many pairs of parallel edges, such as $\overline{AB}$ and $\overline{GH}$ or $\overline{EH}$ and $\overline{FG}$, does a cube have?

$\textbf{(A) }6 \quad\textbf{(B) }12 \quad\textbf{(C) } 18 \quad\textbf{(D) } 24 \quad \textbf{(E) } 36$ $[asy] import three; currentprojection=orthographic(1/2,-1,1/2); /* three - currentprojection, orthographic */ draw((0,0,0)--(1,0,0)--(1,1,0)--(0,1,0)--cycle); draw((0,0,0)--(0,0,1)); draw((0,1,0)--(0,1,1)); draw((1,1,0)--(1,1,1)); draw((1,0,0)--(1,0,1)); draw((0,0,1)--(1,0,1)--(1,1,1)--(0,1,1)--cycle); label("D",(0,0,0),S); label("A",(0,0,1),N); label("H",(0,1,0),S); label("E",(0,1,1),N); label("C",(1,0,0),S); label("B",(1,0,1),N); label("G",(1,1,0),S); label("F",(1,1,1),N); [/asy]$

## Solution

We first count the number of pairs of parallel lines that are in the same direction as $\overline{AB}$. The pairs of parallel lines are $\overline{AB}\text{ and }\overline{EF}$, $\overline{CD}\text{ and }\overline{GH}$, $\overline{AB}\text{ and }\overline{CD}$, $\overline{EF}\text{ and }\overline{GH}$, $\overline{AB}\text{ and }\overline{GH}$, and $\overline{CD}\text{ and }\overline{EF}$. These are $6$ pairs total. We can do the same for the lines in the same direction as $\overline{AE}$ and $\overline{AD}$. This means there are $6\cdot 3=\boxed{\textbf{(C) } 18}$ total pairs of parallel lines.

## Solution

Look at any edge, let's say $\overline{AB}$. There are three ways we can pair $\overline{AB}$ with another edge. $\overline{AB}\text{ and }\overline{EF}$, $\overline{AB}\text{ and }\overline{HG}$, and $\overline{AB}\text{ and }\overline{DC}$. There are 12 edges on a cube. 3 times 12 is 36. We have to divide by 2 because every pair is counted twice, so $\frac{36}{2}$ is \boxed{\textbf{(C) } total pairs of parallel lines.

## See Also

 2015 AMC 8 (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) Preceded byProblem 11 Followed byProblem 13 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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