2019 AMC 10A Problem 21

Attempt Problem 21 of the 2019 AMC 10A 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 2019 AMC 10A solutions, or check the answer key.

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21.

A sphere with center OO has radius 6.6. A triangle with sides of length 15,15,15, 15, and 2424 is situated in space so that each of its sides is tangent to the sphere. What is the distance between OO and the plane determined by the triangle?

232\sqrt{3}

44

323\sqrt{2}

252\sqrt{5}

55

Answer: D
Concepts:sphereincircle, incenter, and inradiusPythagorean Theoremkite
Difficulty rating: 1970
Solution:

The altitude to the side of length 2424 is 152122=9,\sqrt{15^2-12^2}=9, so the triangle has area 12249=108\frac12\cdot24\cdot9=108 and semiperimeter 2727. Its inradius is therefore r=10827=4.r=\frac{108}{27}=4.

Let PP be the perpendicular projection of OO onto the triangle's plane, and let d=OPd=OP. Because all three side-lines are tangent to the sphere, PP is the incenter and its perpendicular distance to each side is 44. The distance from OO to each side-line is the sphere's radius, 66, so the Pythagorean theorem gives d2+42=62.d^2+4^2=6^2. Hence d=25.d=2\sqrt5.

Thus, D is the correct answer.

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