2022 AIME I Problem 10

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Concepts:sphere3D geometryPythagorean Theorem

Difficulty rating: 2560

10.

Three spheres with radii 11,11, 13,13, and 1919 are mutually externally tangent. A plane intersects the spheres in three congruent circles centered at A,A, B,B, and C,C, respectively, and the centers of the spheres all lie on the same side of this plane. Suppose that AB2=560.AB^2 = 560. Find AC2.AC^2.

Solution:

Let the sphere centers be at heights h1,h2,h3h_1, h_2, h_3 above the plane. Each circle's center is the foot of the perpendicular from the sphere's center, and the common circle radius ρ\rho satisfies ρ2=112h12=132h22=192h32.\rho^2 = 11^2 - h_1^2 = 13^2 - h_2^2 = 19^2 - h_3^2.

The first two spheres are tangent, so their centers are 11+13=2411 + 13 = 24 apart, and projecting onto the plane, AB2=242(h2h1)2.AB^2 = 24^2 - (h_2 - h_1)^2. Thus (h2h1)2=576560=16.(h_2 - h_1)^2 = 576 - 560 = 16. Congruence gives h22h12=169121=48,h_2^2 - h_1^2 = 169 - 121 = 48, so h2h1=4h_2 - h_1 = 4 and h2+h1=12h_2 + h_1 = 12 (the other sign gives a negative sum), yielding h1=4,h_1 = 4, h2=8,h_2 = 8, and ρ2=12116=105.\rho^2 = 121 - 16 = 105. Then h32=361105=256,h_3^2 = 361 - 105 = 256, so h3=16.h_3 = 16.

The first and third centers are 11+19=3011 + 19 = 30 apart, so AC2=302(h3h1)2=900144=756.AC^2 = 30^2 - (h_3 - h_1)^2 = 900 - 144 = 756.

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