1955 AMC 12 Problem 36

Attempt Problem 36 of the 1955 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 1955 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.

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36.

A cylindrical oil tank, lying horizontally, has an interior length of 1010 feet and an interior diameter of 66 feet. If the rectangular surface of the oil has an area of 4040 square feet, the depth of the oil is:

5\sqrt5

252\sqrt5

353-\sqrt5

3+53+\sqrt5

either 353-\sqrt5 or 3+53+\sqrt5

Answer: E
Concepts:circle chordhorizontal cylinderPythagorean theorem
Difficulty rating: 1740
Small Hint:

The oil surface is a rectangle of length 1010, so its width is 44

Big Hint:

In the circular end, a chord of length 44 lies 3222\sqrt{3^2-2^2} from the center

Solution:

The rectangular surface has length 10,10, so its chord width in the circular cross-section is 4010=4.\frac{40}{10}=4. Half the chord is 2,2, and the radius is 3,3, so the distance from the center to the chord is 3222=5. \sqrt{3^2-2^2}=\sqrt5. A chord of this length can lie either below or above the center. Measured from the bottom of the tank, the corresponding depths are 353-\sqrt5 and 3+5.3+\sqrt5.

Thus, the correct answer is E.

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Problem 36 in Other Years

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