2007 AMC 12A Problem 17

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 17 of the 2007 AMC 12A, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2007 AMC 12A 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:trigonometric identityalgebraic manipulation

Difficulty rating: 1570

17.

Suppose that sina+sinb=53\sin a+\sin b=\sqrt{\tfrac53} and cosa+cosb=1.\cos a+\cos b=1. What is cos(ab)?\cos(a-b)?

531\sqrt{\dfrac53}-1

13\dfrac13

12\dfrac12

23\dfrac23

11

Solution:

Squaring both equations gives sin2a+2sinasinb+sin2b=53\sin^2 a+2\sin a\sin b+\sin^2 b=\tfrac53 and cos2a+2cosacosb+cos2b=1.\cos^2 a+2\cos a\cos b+\cos^2 b=1.

Adding and using sin2θ+cos2θ=1\sin^2\theta+\cos^2\theta=1 twice, 2+2(sinasinb+cosacosb)=83.2+2(\sin a\sin b+\cos a\cos b)=\tfrac83.

So cos(ab)=sinasinb+cosacosb=13.\cos(a-b)=\sin a\sin b+\cos a\cos b=\tfrac13.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

Problem 17 in Other Years