2006 AMC 12A Problem 22

Attempt Problem 22 of the 2006 AMC 12A 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 2006 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

22.

A circle of radius rr is concentric with and outside a regular hexagon of side length 2.2. The probability that three entire sides of the hexagon are visible from a randomly chosen point on the circle is 12.\frac{1}{2}. What is r?r?

22+232\sqrt{2} + 2\sqrt{3}

33+23\sqrt{3} + \sqrt{2}

26+32\sqrt{6} + \sqrt{3}

32+63\sqrt{2} + \sqrt{6}

6236\sqrt{2} - \sqrt{3}

Answer: D
Concepts:geometric probabilityregular polygontrigonometry
Difficulty rating: 2340
Small Hint:

The complementary arcs, from which only two whole sides are visible, total half the circle; by symmetry each measures 3030^\circ

Big Hint:

The distance from the center to a side (the apothem) is 3,\sqrt{3}, and 3=rsin15\sqrt{3} = r\sin 15^\circ

Solution:

Place the hexagon at the center of the circle. Corresponding to each vertex is an arc from which only the two sides meeting there are entirely visible. These six congruent arcs make up the complementary probability 12,\tfrac{1}{2}, so each arc measures 30.30^\circ.

Take the arc centered on the ray from the center OO through a vertex A,A, and let PP be its upper endpoint. Then POA=15,\angle POA = 15^\circ, and at PP a third side is just becoming visible, so PP lies on that side’s supporting line. Its distance from OO is the apothem 3.\sqrt{3}.

Hence 3=rsin15=r624,\sqrt{3} = r\sin 15^\circ = r \cdot \dfrac{\sqrt{6} - \sqrt{2}}{4}, giving r=4362=32+6. r = \frac{4\sqrt{3}}{\sqrt{6} - \sqrt{2}} = 3\sqrt{2} + \sqrt{6}.

Thus, the correct answer is D.

Problem 21#21
Full Exam

Problem 22 in Other Years

1950 AMC 12 · 1951 AMC 12 · 1952 AMC 12 · 1953 AMC 12 · 1954 AMC 12 · 1955 AMC 12 · 1956 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 · 2000 AMC 12 · 2001 AMC 12 · 2002 AMC 12A · 2002 AMC 12B · 2003 AMC 12A · 2003 AMC 12B · 2004 AMC 12A · 2004 AMC 12B · 2005 AMC 12A · 2005 AMC 12B · 2006 AMC 12B · 2007 AMC 12A · 2007 AMC 12B · 2008 AMC 12A · 2008 AMC 12B · 2009 AMC 12A · 2009 AMC 12B · 2010 AMC 12A · 2010 AMC 12B · 2011 AMC 12A · 2011 AMC 12B · 2012 AMC 12A · 2012 AMC 12B · 2013 AMC 12A · 2013 AMC 12B · 2014 AMC 12A · 2014 AMC 12B · 2015 AMC 12A · 2015 AMC 12B · 2016 AMC 12A · 2016 AMC 12B · 2017 AMC 12A · 2017 AMC 12B · 2018 AMC 12A · 2018 AMC 12B · 2019 AMC 12A · 2019 AMC 12B · 2020 AMC 12A · 2020 AMC 12B · 2021 AMC 12A Spring · 2021 AMC 12B Spring · 2021 AMC 12A Fall · 2021 AMC 12B Fall · 2022 AMC 12A · 2022 AMC 12B · 2023 AMC 12A · 2023 AMC 12B · 2024 AMC 12A · 2024 AMC 12B · 2025 AMC 12A · 2025 AMC 12B