2015 AMC 10A Problem 19

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19.

The isosceles right triangle ABCABC has right angle at CC and area 12.5.12.5. The rays trisecting ACB\angle ACB intersect ABAB at DD and E.E. What is the area of CDE?\triangle CDE?

523\dfrac{5\sqrt{2}}{3}

503754\dfrac{50\sqrt{3}-75}{4}

1538\dfrac{15\sqrt{3}}{8}

502532\dfrac{50-25\sqrt{3}}{2}

256\dfrac{25}{6}

Answer: D
Concepts:special right trianglearea decompositiontriangle area
Difficulty rating: 1880
Solution:

Since ABC\triangle ABC is isosceles right with area 12.512.5, its legs have length 55. The trisectors make ACD=30\angle ACD=30^\circ and BCE=30\angle BCE=30^\circ, so ACD\triangle ACD and BCE\triangle BCE have equal area.

Drop a perpendicular from DD to AC,AC, with foot F.F. Since DD lies on ABAB and A=45,\angle A=45^\circ, AFD\triangle AFD is isosceles right. Let AF=DF=h.AF=DF=h. Then CF=5h,CF=5-h, and the 3030^\circ angle gives CFDF=3.\frac{CF}{DF}=\sqrt{3}. Thus 5h=h35-h=h\sqrt{3}, so h=51+3=5352h=\frac{5}{1+\sqrt{3}}=\frac{5\sqrt{3}-5}{2}.

Therefore [ACD]=125h=253254. \begin{aligned} &[ACD]=\frac12\cdot 5\cdot h \\ &=\frac{25\sqrt{3}-25}{4}. \end{aligned} Subtracting the two congruent corner triangles from ABC\triangle ABC, [CDE]=2522253254=502532. \begin{aligned} &[CDE]=\frac{25}{2} \\ &\quad {}-2\cdot\frac{25\sqrt{3}-25}{4} \\ &=\frac{50-25\sqrt{3}}{2}. \end{aligned}

Thus, D is the correct answer.

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