1990 AIME Problem 14

Attempt Problem 14 of the 1990 AIME below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1990 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

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14.

The rectangle ABCDABCD below has dimensions AB=123AB=12\sqrt3 and BC=133.BC=13\sqrt3. Diagonals ACAC and BDBD intersect at P.P. If triangle ABPABP is cut out and removed, edges APAP and BPBP are joined, and the figure is then creased along segments CPCP and DP,DP, we obtain a triangular pyramid, all four of whose faces are isosceles triangles. Find the volume of this pyramid.

Answer: 594
Concepts:pyramid3D geometrycoordinate geometry
Difficulty rating: 2560
Small Hint:

After APAP and BPBP are joined, vertices AA and BB become one vertex; determine all six edge lengths of the tetrahedron

Big Hint:

Place C,C, D,D, and the joined vertex in one coordinate plane, then locate PP from its equal distances to the other vertices

Solution:

After folding, AA and BB become one vertex X.X. Each half-diagonal of the rectangle has length 9392.\frac{\sqrt{939}}{2}. Thus XP=CP=DP=9392,XP=CP=DP=\frac{\sqrt{939}}2, while XC=XD=133XC=XD=13\sqrt3 and CD=123.CD=12\sqrt3.

Place C=(63,0,0),D=(63,0,0),\begin{aligned}C&=(-6\sqrt3,0,0),\\D&=(6\sqrt3,0,0),\end{aligned} and X=(0,399,0).X=(0,\sqrt{399},0). These coordinates give the required lengths from XX to CC and D.D. Because PP is equidistant from CC and D,D, write P=(0,u,h).P=(0,u,h). Equating PC2PC^2 and PX2PX^2 gives u=2912399.u=\frac{291}{2\sqrt{399}}. Then PC2=9394PC^2=\frac{939}{4} yields h2=5074u2=9801133,h^2=\frac{507}{4}-u^2=\frac{9801}{133}, so h=99133.h=\frac{99}{\sqrt{133}}.

The base triangle XCDXCD has area 12(123)(399)=18133.\frac12(12\sqrt3)(\sqrt{399})=18\sqrt{133}. Therefore the pyramid’s volume is 13(18133)(99133)=594.\frac13(18\sqrt{133})\left(\frac{99}{\sqrt{133}}\right)=594.

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