Question

A segment through the focus $F$ of a parabola with vertex $V$ is perpendicular to $\overline{FV}$ and intersects the parabola in points $A$ and $B.$ What is $\cos(\angle AVB)?$

$-\dfrac{3\sqrt{5}}{7}$

$-\dfrac{2\sqrt{5}}{5}$

$-\dfrac{4}{5}$

$-\dfrac{3}{5}$

$-\dfrac{1}{2}$

Answer: D

Concepts:parabola trigonometric identity Pythagorean Theorem

Difficulty rating: 1710

Solution:

Let $p=FV$ and let the directrix be $\ell.$ Projecting $F$ and $B$ onto $\ell,$ the focus-directrix property gives $FB=2p$ (the distance from $B$ to $\ell$ ), and by the Pythagorean Theorem $\begin{aligned} VB&=\sqrt{FV^2+FB^2} \\ &=\sqrt{p^2+4p^2}=\sqrt5\,p. \end{aligned}$

Then $\cos(\angle FVB)=\dfrac{FV}{VB}$ $=\dfrac{p}{\sqrt5\,p}$ $=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt5}.$ Since $\angle AVB=2\angle FVB,$ $\begin{aligned} \cos(\angle AVB) &=2\cos^2(\angle FVB) \\ &\quad {}-1 \\ &=2\cdot\dfrac15-1 \\ &=-\dfrac35. \end{aligned}$

Thus, the correct answer is D.

2011 AMC 12B Problem 14

Answer: D

Difficulty rating: 1710

Solution:

Problem 14 in Other Years