2012 AMC 10A Problem 21

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 21 of the 2012 AMC 10A, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2012 AMC 10A solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:3D geometrymidpointdistance formula

Difficulty rating: 1730

21.

Let points A=(0,0,0),A = (0 ,0 ,0), B=(1,0,0),B = (1, 0, 0), C=(0,2,0),C = (0, 2, 0), D=(0,0,3).D = (0, 0, 3). Points E,E, F,F, G,G, and HH are midpoints of line segments BD, AB, AC,\overline{BD},\text{ } \overline{AB}, \text{ } \overline {AC}, and DC\overline{DC} respectively. What is the area of EFGH?EFGH?

2\sqrt{2}

253\dfrac{2\sqrt{5}}{3}

354\dfrac{3\sqrt{5}}{4}

3\sqrt{3}

273\dfrac{2\sqrt{7}}{3}

Solution:

Note that EF=12ADEF = \dfrac{1}{2}AD since it is a midsegment of ABD.\triangle ABD. Similarly, HG=12ADHG = \dfrac{1}{2}AD and FG=12BC.FG = \dfrac{1}{2}BC.

We also have that EF\overline{EF} and HG\overline{HG} are perpendicular to the xyxy-plane, which means that they are perpendicular to FG\overline{FG} and EH.\overline{EH}.

This tells us that EFGHEFGH is rectangle since EF=HG.EF = HG. We have EF=123=32.EF = \dfrac{1}{2} \cdot 3 = \dfrac{3}{2}.

We also have that FG=1212+22=52. FG = \dfrac{1}{2} \sqrt{1^2 + 2^2} = \dfrac{\sqrt{5}}{2}.

The area of EFGHEFGH is then EFFG=3252=354. EF \cdot FG = \dfrac{3}{2} \cdot \dfrac{\sqrt{5}}{2} = \dfrac{3\sqrt{5}}{4}.

Thus, C is the correct answer.

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