2024 AMC 12B Problem 7

Attempt Problem 7 of the 2024 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 2024 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

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7.

In the figure below WXYZWXYZ is a rectangle with WX=4WX = 4 and WZ=8.WZ = 8. Point MM lies on XY,\overline{XY}, point AA lies on YZ,\overline{YZ}, and WMA\angle WMA is a right angle. The areas of WXM\triangle WXM and WAZ\triangle WAZ are equal. What is the area of WMA?\triangle WMA?

1313

1414

1515

1616

1717

Answer: C
Concepts:coordinate geometrytriangle area
Difficulty rating: 1420
Solution:

Set X=(0,0),X = (0,0), W=(0,4),W = (0,4), Y=(8,0),Y = (8,0), Z=(8,4),Z = (8,4), with M=(m,0)M = (m, 0) on XY\overline{XY} and A=(8,a)A = (8, a) on YZ.\overline{YZ}.

Since WMA=90,\angle WMA = 90^\circ, MWMA\overrightarrow{MW} \cdot \overrightarrow{MA} =(m)(8m)= (-m)(8-m) +4a=0,+ 4a = 0, so 4a=m(8m).4a = m(8-m). The areas give [WXM]=124m=2m[\triangle WXM] = \tfrac12 \cdot 4 \cdot m = 2m and [WAZ][\triangle WAZ] =128(4a)= \tfrac12 \cdot 8 \cdot (4 - a) =4(4a).= 4(4 - a). Setting these equal yields m=82a.m = 8 - 2a.

Substituting a=8m2a = \tfrac{8-m}{2} into 4a=m(8m)4a = m(8-m) gives 2(8m)=m(8m),2(8-m) = m(8-m), so m=2m = 2 and a=3.a = 3. The other algebraic root, m=8,m=8, gives M=A=YM=A=Y and no defined angle WMA,\angle WMA, so it is invalid. Then with W=(0,4),W = (0,4), M=(2,0),M = (2,0), A=(8,3),A = (8,3), [WMA]=122(34)+8(40)=12(30)=15. \begin{aligned} [\triangle WMA] &= \tfrac12\,\bigl|2(3 - 4) + 8(4 - 0)\bigr| \\ &= \tfrac12 (30) = 15. \end{aligned}

Thus, the correct answer is C.

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