2013 AMC 10B Problem 23

Attempt Problem 23 of the 2013 AMC 10B 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 2013 AMC 10B solutions, or check the answer key.

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

23.

In triangle ABC,\triangle ABC, AB=13,AB=13, BC=14,BC=14, and CA=15.CA=15. Distinct points D,D, E,E, and FF lie on segments BC,\overline{BC}, CA,\overline{CA}, and DE,\overline{DE}, respectively, such that ADBC,\overline{AD}\perp\overline{BC}, DEAC,\overline{DE}\perp\overline{AC}, and AFBF.\overline{AF}\perp\overline{BF}. The length of segment DF\overline{DF} can be written as mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. What is m+n?m+n?

18 18

21 21

24 24

27 27

30 30

Answer: B
Concepts:cyclic quadrilateralPtolemy’s Theoremaltitudesimilarity
Difficulty rating: 2300
Solution:

Let BD=xBD=x, so CD=14xCD=14-x. Applying the Pythagorean Theorem to right triangles ABDABD and ACDACD gives 132x2=152(14x)2. 13^2-x^2=15^2-(14-x)^2. Thus BD=5BD=5, CD=9CD=9, and AD=12AD=12.

This yields the following diagram:

Because ADBCAD\perp BC and DEACDE\perp AC, we have ADE=ACD\angle ADE=\angle ACD. Also, AFB=ADB=90\angle AFB=\angle ADB=90^\circ, so A,B,D,FA,B,D,F are concyclic. Hence ABF=ADF=ACD. \angle ABF=\angle ADF=\angle ACD. In right triangle ACDACD, cos(ACD)=35\cos(\angle ACD)=\frac35 and sin(ACD)=45\sin(\angle ACD)=\frac45. Therefore, in right triangle ABFABF, BF=1335,AF=1345. \begin{aligned} BF&=13\cdot\frac35,\\ AF&=13\cdot\frac45. \end{aligned}

By Ptolemy's Theorem, we get ABDF+DBAF=BFAD. \begin{aligned} &AB \cdot DF + DB \cdot AF \\ &= BF\cdot AD . \end{aligned} Therefore, 13DF+5(1345)=12(1335). \begin{aligned} 13\cdot DF&+5\left(13\cdot\frac45\right)\\ &=12\left(13\cdot\frac35\right). \end{aligned}

Dividing by 1313 gives DF+4=365DF+4=\frac{36}{5}, so DF=165DF=\frac{16}{5}. Thus m+n=21m+n=21, and the correct answer is B .

← Problem 22#22
Full Exam

Problem 23 in Other Years