Question

A square of area $2$ is inscribed in a square of area $3,$ creating four congruent triangles, as shown below. What is the ratio of the shorter leg to the longer leg in the shaded right triangle?

$\dfrac{1}{5}$

$\dfrac{1}{4}$

$2-\sqrt{3}$

$\sqrt{3}-\sqrt{2}$

$\sqrt{2}-1$

Solution:

The outer square has side $\sqrt3$ and the inner square has side $\sqrt2.$ Each triangle is right, with legs $p$ and $q$ along an outer side, so $p+q=\sqrt3,$ and with hypotenuse an inner side, so $p^2+q^2=2.$

Then $(p+q)^2=3$ gives $2pq=1,$ so $p$ and $q$ are the roots of $t^2-\sqrt3\,t+\tfrac12=0,$ namely $\dfrac{\sqrt3\pm 1}{2}.$

The ratio of shorter to longer leg is $\dfrac{\sqrt3-1}{\sqrt3+1} =\dfrac{(\sqrt3-1)^2}{2}=2-\sqrt3.$

Thus, the correct answer is C.

2023 AMC 12A Problem 9

Solution:

Problem 9 in Other Years