2003 AIME I Problem 10

Attempt Problem 10 of the 2003 AIME I 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 2003 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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10.

Triangle ABCABC is isosceles with AC=BCAC = BC and ∠ACB=106∘.\angle ACB = 106^\circ. Point MM is in the interior of the triangle so that ∠MAC=7∘\angle MAC = 7^\circ and ∠MCA=23∘.\angle MCA = 23^\circ. Find the number of degrees in ∠CMB.\angle CMB.

Answer: 83
Concepts:law of sineslaw of cosinesisosceles triangle
Difficulty rating: 2920
Small Hint:

The base angles are 37∘.37^\circ. In triangle AMC,AMC, the Law of Sines with AC=1AC = 1 gives CM=2sin⁡7∘.CM = 2\sin 7^\circ.

Big Hint:

Apply the Law of Cosines in triangle BMC,BMC, using the fact that the cosine of ∠MCB\angle MCB equals sin⁡7∘,\sin 7^\circ, to show MB=CBMB = CB

Solution:

Assume AC=BC=1.AC = BC = 1. In triangle AMC,AMC, the angles at AA and CC are 7∘7^\circ and 23∘,23^\circ, so ∠AMC=150∘,\angle AMC = 150^\circ, and the Law of Sines gives CM=sin⁡7∘sin⁡150∘=2sin⁡7∘.CM = \frac{\sin 7^\circ}{\sin 150^\circ} = 2\sin 7^\circ.

Also ∠MCB=106∘−23∘=83∘,\angle MCB = 106^\circ - 23^\circ = 83^\circ, whose cosine is sin⁡7∘.\sin 7^\circ. The Law of Cosines in triangle BMCBMC then gives MB2=CM2+CB2−2⋅CM⋅CBcos⁡83∘=4sin⁡27∘+1−4sin⁡27∘=1. \begin{aligned} MB^2 &= CM^2 + CB^2 \\ &\quad {}- 2 \cdot CM \cdot CB \cos 83^\circ \\ &= 4\sin^2 7^\circ + 1 \\ &\quad {}- 4\sin^2 7^\circ = 1. \end{aligned}

So MB=1=CB,MB = 1 = CB, making triangle BMCBMC isosceles with ∠CMB=∠MCB=83∘.\angle CMB = \angle MCB = 83^\circ. The answer is 83.83.

Problem 9#9
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