2021 AMC 10A Fall Problem 22

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 22 of the 2021 AMC 10A Fall, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2021 AMC 10A Fall solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:3D geometryconespherecoordinate geometry

Difficulty rating: 2300

22.

Inside a right circular cone with base radius 55 and height 1212 are three congruent spheres with radius r.r. Each sphere is tangent to the other two spheres and also tangent to the base and side of the cone. What is r?r?

32\dfrac{3}{2}

9040311\dfrac{90-40\sqrt{3}}{11}

22

14425344\dfrac{144-25\sqrt{3}}{44}

52\dfrac{5}{2}

Solution:

Let the cone have base in the plane z=0z=0, center at the origin, and vertex on the zz-axis. The centers of the three spheres form an equilateral triangle of side 2r2r, so one sphere center may be taken at horizontal distance 2r3\frac{2r}{\sqrt3} from the cone axis and height rr above the base.

In the axial cross-section through that center and the cone axis, the side of the cone is the line 12ρ+5z=6012\rho+5z=60, where ρ\rho is horizontal distance from the axis. The distance from (2r3,r)\left(\frac{2r}{\sqrt3},r\right) to this line must be rr: r=60122r35r13.r=\frac{60-12\cdot\frac{2r}{\sqrt3}-5r}{13}.

Thus (18+83)r=60(18+8\sqrt3)r=60, so r=6018+83=9040311.r=\frac{60}{18+8\sqrt3}=\frac{90-40\sqrt3}{11}.

Thus, B is the correct answer.

Problem 22 in Other Years