2023 AMC 10A Problem 17

Attempt Problem 17 of the 2023 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 2023 AMC 10A solutions, or check the answer key.

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17.

Let ABCDABCD be a rectangle with AB=30AB = 30 and BC=28.BC = 28. Points PP and QQ lie on BCBC and CDCD respectively so that all sides of ABP,\triangle ABP, PCQ,\triangle PCQ, and QDA\triangle QDA have integer lengths. What is the perimeter of APQ?\triangle APQ?

8484

8686

8888

9090

9292

Answer: A
Concepts:Pythagorean Triplerectanglesystematic listing
Difficulty rating: 1840
Solution:

Set A=(0,0)A = (0,0), B=(30,0)B = (30,0), C=(30,28)C = (30,28), D=(0,28)D = (0,28), with P=(30,p)P = (30, p) on BCBC and Q=(30q,28)Q = (30 - q, 28) on CDCD. The three right triangles give AP=302+p2AP = \sqrt{30^2 + p^2}, QA=282+(30q)2QA = \sqrt{28^2 + (30 - q)^2}, and PQ=(28p)2+q2PQ = \sqrt{(28 - p)^2 + q^2}. For 0p280 \leq p \leq 28, the equation (APp)(AP+p)=900(AP-p)(AP+p)=900 gives only p=0p=0 and p=16p=16, with AP=30AP=30 and AP=34AP=34. Similarly, setting x=30qx=30-q, the equation (QAx)(QA+x)=784(QA-x)(QA+x)=784 with 0x300 \leq x \leq 30 gives x=0x=0 or x=21x=21. Testing these four combinations in the formula for PQPQ, only p=16p=16, x=21x=21 works. Thus q=9q=9, QA=35QA=35, and PQ=122+92=15PQ=\sqrt{12^2+9^2}=15. The perimeter of APQ\triangle APQ is 34+15+35=8434+15+35=84. Thus, A is the correct answer.

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