2024 AMC 12A Problem 18

Attempt Problem 18 of the 2024 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 2024 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

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

18.

On top of a rectangular card with sides of length 11 and 2+3,2+\sqrt3, an identical card is placed so that two of their diagonals line up, as shown (AC,AC, in this case).

Two congruent rectangular cards sharing the diagonal AC, with the second card rotated.

Continue the process, adding a third card to the second, and so on, lining up successive diagonals after rotating clockwise. In total, how many cards must be used until a vertex of a new card lands exactly on the vertex labeled BB in the figure?

66

88

1010

1212

No new vertex will land on B.B.

Answer: A
Concepts:transformationtrigonometry
Difficulty rating: 2010
Small Hint:

The diagonal makes angle arctan12+3=15\arctan\dfrac{1}{2+\sqrt3}=15^\circ with the long side, since 12+3=23\dfrac{1}{2+\sqrt3}=2-\sqrt3

Big Hint:

The two diagonals meet at 30;30^\circ; track the unused diagonal as five new cards are added

Solution:

A diagonal makes an angle θ\theta with a long side, where tanθ=12+3\tan\theta=\dfrac{1}{2+\sqrt3} =23=tan15.=2-\sqrt3=\tan15^\circ. Thus the acute angle between the two diagonals of a card is 2θ=30.2\theta=30^\circ.

Each new card shares one diagonal with the previous card, and its other diagonal is the next line obtained by turning 3030^\circ clockwise. All these equal diagonals have the same midpoint and are diameters of one common circle. The line through the original card’s other diagonal, which contains B,B, is 3030^\circ counterclockwise from AC.AC. As an unoriented line, this is the same as 150150^\circ clockwise from AC.AC. Five additions advance the unused diagonal by 530=150,5\cdot30^\circ=150^\circ, so the sixth card is the first new card with a vertex at B.B.

Thus, the correct answer is A.

Problem 17#17
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