2009 AMC 12A Problem 10

Attempt Problem 10 of the 2009 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 2009 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

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10.

In quadrilateral ABCD,ABCD, AB=5,AB = 5, BC=17,BC = 17, CD=5,CD = 5, DA=9,DA = 9, and BDBD is an integer. What is BD?BD?
1111
1212
1313
1414
1515
Answer: C
Concepts:triangle inequalitybounding to limit cases
Small hint:
Apply the triangle inequality to △BCD\triangle BCD and △ABD\triangle ABD
Big hint:
From △BCD,\triangle BCD, BD>12,BD \gt 12, and from △ABD,\triangle ABD, BD<14BD \lt 14
Solution:
In △BCD,\triangle BCD, the triangle inequality gives BD+CD>BC,BD + CD \gt BC, so BD+5>17BD + 5 \gt 17 and BD>12.BD \gt 12.
In △ABD,\triangle ABD, AB+DA>BD,AB + DA \gt BD, so BD<5+9=14.BD \lt 5 + 9 = 14.
The only integer with 12<BD<1412 \lt BD \lt 14 is 13.13.
Thus, the correct answer is C.
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