2025 AMC 12A Problem 16

Attempt Problem 16 of the 2025 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 2025 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

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16.

Triangle ABC\triangle ABC has side lengths AB=80,AB = 80, BC=45,BC = 45, and AC=75.AC = 75. The bisector of B\angle B and the altitude to side ABAB intersect at point P.P. What is BP?BP?

1818

1919

2020

2121

2222

Answer: D
Concepts:law of cosinesangle bisectortrigonometric identity
Difficulty rating: 1840
Solution:

By the Law of Cosines, cosB=802+45275228045=28007200=718. \begin{aligned} \cos B &= \frac{80^2 + 45^2 - 75^2}{2 \cdot 80 \cdot 45} \\ &= \frac{2800}{7200} = \frac{7}{18}. \end{aligned}

The altitude to ABAB is drawn from C,C, and its foot is at distance BCcosB=45718=17.5BC\cos B = 45 \cdot \dfrac{7}{18} = 17.5 from BB along AB.AB.

Along the bisector from B,B, the component parallel to ABAB is BPcosB2,BP\cos\dfrac{B}{2}, which must reach the altitude's foot: BPcosB2=17.5.BP\cos\dfrac{B}{2} = 17.5.

Since cosB2=1+7/182\cos\dfrac{B}{2} = \sqrt{\dfrac{1 + 7/18}{2}} =2536= \sqrt{\dfrac{25}{36}} =56,= \dfrac{5}{6}, we get BP=17.55/6=21.BP = \dfrac{17.5}{5/6} = 21.

Thus, the correct answer is D.

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