2002 AIME II Problem 2

Attempt Problem 2 of the 2002 AIME II 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 2002 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

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

2.

Three of the vertices of a cube are P=(7,12,10),P = (7, 12, 10), Q=(8,8,1),Q = (8, 8, 1), and R=(11,3,9).R = (11, 3, 9). What is the surface area of the cube?

Answer: 294
Concepts:cube geometrydistance formulasurface area
Difficulty rating: 2020
Solution:

Compute the squared distances: PQ2=12+42+92=98,PQ^2 = 1^2 + 4^2 + 9^2 = 98, QR2=32+52+82=98,QR^2 = 3^2 + 5^2 + 8^2 = 98, and RP2=42+92+12=98.RP^2 = 4^2 + 9^2 + 1^2 = 98. So P,P, Q,Q, and RR form an equilateral triangle with side 98=72.\sqrt{98} = 7\sqrt{2}.

Three mutually equidistant vertices of a cube must be joined by face diagonals, and a face diagonal of a cube with edge ss has length s2.s\sqrt{2}. Thus s=7,s = 7, and the surface area is 672=294.6 \cdot 7^2 = 294.

← Problem 1#1
Full Exam

Problem 2 in Other Years