1956 AMC 12 Problem 26
Attempt Problem 26 of the 1956 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 1956 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.
All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
26.
Which one of the following combinations of given parts does not determine the indicated triangle?
base angle and vertex angle; isosceles triangle
vertex angle and the base; isosceles triangle
the radius of the circumscribed circle; equilateral triangle
one arm and the radius of the inscribed circle; right triangle
two angles and a side opposite one of them; scalene triangle
Answer: A
Small Hint:
Ask whether each set of information fixes scale as well as shape
Big Hint:
Two angles determine only a similarity class unless some length is also supplied
Solution:
In an isosceles triangle, a base angle and the vertex angle determine all three angles, but no side length is specified. Therefore triangles of every scale have the same given data, so the triangle is not determined. Each other choice includes enough length information, directly or through a radius, to fix the scale as well as the shape.
Thus, the correct answer is A.
Problem 26 in Other Years
1950 AMC 12 · 1951 AMC 12 · 1952 AMC 12 · 1953 AMC 12 · 1954 AMC 12 · 1955 AMC 12 · 1957 AMC 12 · 1958 AMC 12 · 1959 AMC 12 · 1960 AMC 12 · 1961 AMC 12 · 1962 AMC 12 · 1963 AMC 12 · 1964 AMC 12 · 1965 AMC 12 · 1966 AMC 12 · 1967 AMC 12 · 1968 AMC 12 · 1969 AMC 12 · 1970 AMC 12 · 1971 AMC 12 · 1972 AMC 12 · 1973 AMC 12 · 1974 AMC 12 · 1975 AMC 12 · 1976 AMC 12 · 1977 AMC 12 · 1978 AMC 12 · 1979 AMC 12 · 1980 AMC 12 · 1981 AMC 12 · 1982 AMC 12 · 1983 AMC 12 · 1984 AMC 12 · 1985 AMC 12 · 1986 AMC 12 · 1987 AMC 12 · 1988 AMC 12 · 1989 AMC 12 · 1990 AMC 12 · 1991 AMC 12 · 1992 AMC 12 · 1993 AMC 12 · 1994 AMC 12 · 1995 AMC 12 · 1996 AMC 12 · 1997 AMC 12 · 1998 AMC 12 · 1999 AMC 12