2021 AMC 10A Fall Problem 22
Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 22 of the 2021 AMC 10A Fall, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2021 AMC 10A Fall solutions, or check the answer key.
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Difficulty rating: 2300
22.
Inside a right circular cone with base radius and height are three congruent spheres with radius Each sphere is tangent to the other two spheres and also tangent to the base and side of the cone. What is
Solution:
Let the cone have base in the plane , center at the origin, and vertex on the -axis. The centers of the three spheres form an equilateral triangle of side , so one sphere center may be taken at horizontal distance from the cone axis and height above the base.
In the axial cross-section through that center and the cone axis, the side of the cone is the line , where is horizontal distance from the axis. The distance from to this line must be :
Thus , so
Thus, B is the correct answer.
Problem 22 in Other Years
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