2013 AMC 12B Problem 20

Attempt Problem 20 of the 2013 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 2013 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

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

20.

For 135<x<180,135^\circ \lt x \lt 180^\circ, points P=(cosx,cos2x),P = (\cos x, \cos^2 x), Q=(cotx,cot2x),Q = (\cot x, \cot^2 x), R=(sinx,sin2x),R = (\sin x, \sin^2 x), and S=(tanx,tan2x)S = (\tan x, \tan^2 x) are the vertices of a trapezoid. What is sin(2x)?\sin(2x)?

2222 - 2\sqrt2

3363\sqrt3 - 6

3253\sqrt2 - 5

34-\dfrac{3}{4}

131 - \sqrt3

Answer: A
Concepts:parabolatrigonometric identitytrapezoid
Difficulty rating: 2270
Solution:

Each point (t,t2)(t, t^2) lies on y=t2,y = t^2, and the chord through parameters t1,t2t_1, t_2 has slope t1+t2.t_1 + t_2. For 135<x<180,135^\circ \lt x \lt 180^\circ, both cosx\cos x and tanx\tan x lie between cotx\cot x and sinx,\sin x, so PP and SS sit between QQ and RR and the parallel sides are QRQR and PS.PS. Equal slopes give cotx+sinx=tanx+cosx.\cot x + \sin x = \tan x + \cos x. Multiplying by sinxcosx\sin x\cos x and simplifying yields cosx+sinxsinxcosx=0.\cos x + \sin x - \sin x\cos x = 0. Squaring and using 2sinxcosx=sin2x2\sin x\cos x = \sin 2x gives 1+sin2x=14sin22x,1 + \sin 2x = \tfrac14\sin^2 2x, whose only root in (1,1)(-1, 1) is sin2x=222.\sin 2x = 2 - 2\sqrt2. Thus, the correct answer is A.

← Problem 19#19
Full Exam

Problem 20 in Other Years