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
Solution:

Assume AC=BC=1.AC = BC = 1. In triangle AMC,AMC, the angles at AA and CC are 77^\circ and 23,23^\circ, so AMC=150,\angle AMC = 150^\circ, and the Law of Sines gives CM=sin7sin150=2sin7.CM = \frac{\sin 7^\circ}{\sin 150^\circ} = 2\sin 7^\circ.

Also MCB=10623=83,\angle MCB = 106^\circ - 23^\circ = 83^\circ, whose cosine is sin7.\sin 7^\circ. The Law of Cosines in triangle BMCBMC then gives MB2=CM2+CB22CMCBcos83=4sin27+14sin27=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.

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