1999 AIME Problem 15

Attempt Problem 15 of the 1999 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 1999 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

15.

Consider the paper triangle whose vertices are (0,0),(0, 0), (34,0),(34, 0), and (16,24).(16, 24). The vertices of its midpoint triangle are the midpoints of its sides. A triangular pyramid is formed by folding the triangle along the sides of its midpoint triangle. What is the volume of this pyramid?

Answer: 408
Concepts:paper folding3D geometrycoordinate geometryvolume
Difficulty rating: 2990
Solution:

The midpoints are M1=(17,0),M_1 = (17, 0), M2=(25,12),M_2 = (25, 12), and M3=(8,12).M_3 = (8, 12). Folding the three corner triangles up along the sides of the midpoint triangle brings the corners together at one apex QQ (each pair of glued half-sides has equal length). The apex keeps its folded distances: QM1=17QM_1 = 17 (half of the side of length 3434 that M1M_1 bisects), QM2=15QM_2 = 15 (half of 3030), and QM3=413QM_3 = 4\sqrt{13} (half of 162+242=813\sqrt{16^2 + 24^2} = 8\sqrt{13}).

Keep the midpoint triangle in the plane z=0z = 0 and let Q=(x,y,z).Q = (x, y, z). Subtracting QM32=208|Q - M_3|^2 = 208 from QM22=225|Q - M_2|^2 = 225 gives (x25)2(x8)2=17,(x - 25)^2 - (x - 8)^2 = 17, so x=16;x = 16; subtracting QM22=225|Q - M_2|^2 = 225 from QM12=289|Q - M_1|^2 = 289 gives 2x+3y=68,2x + 3y = 68, so y=12.y = 12. Then z2z^2 =289(1617)2= 289 - (16 - 17)^2 122- 12^2 =144,= 144, so the apex is at height z=12.z = 12.

The base is the midpoint triangle, with area one quarter of the original triangle's 123424=408,\frac{1}{2} \cdot 34 \cdot 24 = 408, i.e. 102.102. The volume is 1310212=408.\frac{1}{3} \cdot 102 \cdot 12 = 408.

← Problem 14#14
Full Exam

Problem 15 in Other Years