2013 AMC 10B Problem 23

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 23 of the 2013 AMC 10B, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2013 AMC 10B solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:cyclic quadrilateralPtolemy’s Theoremaltitudesimilarity

Difficulty rating: 2300

23.

In triangle \triangleriangle ABC, AB=13,AB=13, BC=14,BC=14, and CA=15.CA=15. Distinct points D,D, E,E, and FF lie on segments BC,\overline{BC}, CA,\overline{CA}, and DE,\overline{DE}, respectively, such that ADBC,\overline{AD}\perp\overline{BC}, DEAC,\overline{DE}\perp\overline{AC}, and AFBF.\overline{AF}\perp\overline{BF}. The length of segment DF\overline{DF} can be written as mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. What is m+n?m+n?

18 18

21 21

24 24

27 27

30 30

Solution:

First, we can deduce that BD=5,AD=12,CD=9BD =5, AD = 12, CD = 9 by inspecting Pythagorean triples.

This yields the following diagram:

Then, we get ADE=ACD\angle ADE = \angle ACD by the similarity of \triangleriangle ADC and \triangleriangle AED . Since \triangleriangle ABF and \triangleriangle ADF are both right triangles, they both have circumcircles with diameter AB,AB, making ABDFABDF cyclic. Thus, ABF=ADF=ACD,\angle ABF = \angle ADF = \angle ACD, making cos(ABF)=35,\cos (\angle ABF) = \dfrac 35,sin(ABF)=45. \sin (\angle ABF) = \dfrac 45 . As such, AF=3513,AF = \dfrac 35 \cdot 13, BF=4513. BF = \dfrac 45 \cdot 13.

By Ptolemy's Theorem, we get ABDF+DBAF=BFAD.AB \cdot DF + DB \cdot AF = BF\cdot AD . Therefore, 13DF+51345=121335.13\cdot DF + 5\cdot 13\dfrac 45 =12 \cdot 13\dfrac 35 .

This makes DF+545=1235,DF + 5\cdot \dfrac 45 = 12 \cdot \dfrac 35 , so DF+4=365.DF + 4 = \dfrac {36}5. As such, DF=165,DF=\dfrac {16}5, making m+n=21.m+n=21.

Thus, the correct answer is B .

Problem 23 in Other Years