2025 AMC 10B Problem 13

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 13 of the 2025 AMC 10B, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2025 AMC 10B solutions, or check the answer key.

All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Concepts:special right trianglealtitudemedian (geometry)

Difficulty rating: 1660

13.

The altitude to the hypotenuse of a 3030-6060-9090^\circ right triangle is divided into two segments of lengths x<yx \lt y by the median to the shortest side of the triangle. What is the ratio xx+y?\dfrac{x}{x + y}?

37\dfrac{3}{7}

34\dfrac{\sqrt3}{4}

49\dfrac{4}{9}

511\dfrac{5}{11}

4315\dfrac{4\sqrt3}{15}

Solution:

Place the right angle at C=(0,0),C = (0,0), the short leg CB=1CB = 1 with B=(1,0),B = (1, 0), and the long leg CA=3CA = \sqrt3 with A=(0,3).A = (0, \sqrt3). The altitude from CC to hypotenuse ABAB has foot H=(34,34)H = \left(\tfrac34, \tfrac{\sqrt3}{4}\right) and runs along x=3y.x = \sqrt3\,y. The median from AA to the midpoint (12,0)\left(\tfrac12, 0\right) of CBCB meets that altitude at (37,37).\left(\tfrac37, \tfrac{\sqrt3}{7}\right). This cuts CHCH (length 32\tfrac{\sqrt3}{2}) into 4314\tfrac{4\sqrt3}{14} and 3314,\tfrac{3\sqrt3}{14}, so x=3314x = \tfrac{3\sqrt3}{14} and xx+y=33/143/2=37.\dfrac{x}{x + y} = \dfrac{3\sqrt3/14}{\sqrt3/2} = \dfrac{3}{7}. Thus, A is the correct answer.

Problem 13 in Other Years