2011 AMC 12B Problem 20

Attempt Problem 20 of the 2011 AMC 12B 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 2011 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

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20.

Triangle ABCABC has AB=13,AB=13, BC=14,BC=14, and AC=15.AC=15. The points D,D, E,E, and FF are the midpoints of AB,AB, BC,BC, and ACAC respectively. Let XEX\ne E be the intersection of the circumcircles of BDE\triangle BDE and CEF.\triangle CEF. What is XA+XB+XC?XA+XB+XC?

2424

14314\sqrt{3}

1958\dfrac{195}{8}

129714\dfrac{129\sqrt{7}}{14}

6924\dfrac{69\sqrt{2}}{4}

Answer: C
Concepts:circumcircle, circumcenter, and circumradiusinscribed angleHeron’s Formula
Difficulty rating: 2220
Solution:

Since DEACDE\parallel AC and EFAB,EF\parallel AB, we get BDE=BAC=EFC.\angle BDE=\angle BAC=\angle EFC. By the Inscribed Angle Theorem, BXE=BDE\angle BXE=\angle BDE and EXC=EFC,\angle EXC=\angle EFC, so BXE=EXC.\angle BXE=\angle EXC. With BE=EC,BE=EC, this forces XB=XC.XB=XC.

Also BXC=2BAC.\angle BXC=2\angle BAC. The chord formula in BXC\triangle BXC gives BC=2XBsin(BAC),BC=2XB\sin(\angle BAC), while the same formula in ABC\triangle ABC gives BC=2Rsin(BAC).BC=2R\sin(\angle BAC). Thus XB=XC=R.XB=XC=R. The point at distance RR from both BB and CC on this side of BCBC is the circumcenter of ABC,\triangle ABC, so XA=XB=XC=R.XA=XB=XC=R.

The area of the 1313-1414-1515 triangle is 8484 by Heron's formula, so R=131415484=658, R=\dfrac{13\cdot14\cdot15}{4\cdot84}=\dfrac{65}{8}, and XA+XB+XC=3R=1958.XA+XB+XC=3R=\dfrac{195}{8}.

Thus, the correct answer is C.

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