1951 AMC 12 Problem 49
Attempt Problem 49 of the 1951 AMC 12 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 1951 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.
All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
49.
The medians of a right triangle which are drawn from the vertices of the acute angles are and The value of the hypotenuse is:
None of these
Answer: D
Small Hint:
Let the legs be and place the right angle at their common endpoint
Big Hint:
The two median lengths give and
Solution:
Let the legs be The medians from their opposite acute vertices have squared lengths Solving gives and Thus the hypotenuse satisfies so
Thus, the correct answer is D.