2016 AMC 10B Problem 23

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Concepts:regular polygonarea ratiosimilarity

Difficulty rating: 2300

23.

In regular hexagon ABCDEF,ABCDEF, points W,W, X,X, Y,Y, and ZZ are chosen on sides BC,\overline{BC}, CD,\overline{CD}, EF,\overline{EF}, and FA\overline{FA} respectively, so lines AB,AB, ZW,ZW, YX,YX, and EDED are parallel and equally spaced. What is the ratio of the area of hexagon WCXYFZWCXYFZ to the area of hexagon ABCDEF?ABCDEF?

 13 \ \dfrac{1}{3}

 1027 \ \dfrac{10}{27}

 1127 \ \dfrac{11}{27}

 49 \ \dfrac{4}{9}

 1327 \ \dfrac{13}{27}

Solution:

Consider the following diagram:

The shape is symmetric, so we can find the ratio of the areas of EFCDEFCD to the area of ZFCW.ZFCW. For this, we can extend FEFE and CDCD until they meet each other, and let this point be P.P.

Also, the distance from EDED to ZWZW is the same as the distance from ZWZW to YX,YX, and the distance from ZWZW to YXYX is twice the distance as the distance from ZWZW to FC.FC.

Thus, the distance from EDED to ZWZW is twice the distance as the distance from ZWZW to FC.FC. Let the altitude from PP to EDED be s.s. Then, if the altitude from PP to ZWZW is s+d,s+d, the altitude from PP to CFCF is s+1.5ds+1.5d because of the ratio. Then, since FPCPED,\triangle FPC \sim \triangle PED,FPEP=s+1.5ds. \dfrac{FP}{EP} = \dfrac{s+1.5d}{s}. Also, since FE=ED=PEFE= ED = PE as PEDPED is equilateral, we have 2s=s+1.5d,2s = s+1.5d, and so s=1.5d.s=1.5d.

Thus, the ratio between side lengths of PED\triangle PED and PZW\triangle PZW is 53\frac 53 which makes the ratio between the area 259.\frac{25}9. Also the ratio between side lengths of PED\triangle PED and PFC\triangle PFC is 2,2, which makes the ratio between the area 4.4.

This makes the area of EDCFEDCF 33 times the area of PED\triangle PED and the area of EDWZEDWZ 169\frac{16}{9} times the area of PED\triangle PED Therefore, the area of ZWCFZWCF is 119\frac{11}{9} times the area of PED.\triangle PED.

Thus, the ratio between ZWCFZWCF and EDCFEDCF is 1193=1127.\dfrac{\frac{11}9}{3} = \dfrac{11}{27} .

Thus, the correct answer is C .

Problem 23 in Other Years