Difference between revisions of "2017 AMC 10B Problems/Problem 24"

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==Solution 3==
 
==Solution 3==
 
WLOG, let the centroid of <math>\triangle ABC</math> be <math>G = (1, 1)</math> and let point <math>A</math> be <math>(-1, -1)</math>. It is known that the centroid is equidistant from the three vertices of <math>\triangle ABC</math>. Because we have the coordinates of both <math>A</math> and <math>G</math>, we know that the distance from <math>G</math> to any vertice of <math>\triangle ABC</math> is <math>\sqrt{(1-(-1))^2+(1-(-1))^2} = 2\sqrt{2}</math>. Therefore, <math>AG=BG=CG=2\sqrt{2}</math>. It follows that from <math>\triangle ABG</math>, where <math>AG=BG=2\sqrt{2}</math> and <math>\angle AGB = \dfrac{360^{\circ}}{3} = 120^{\circ}</math>, <math>[\triangle ABG]= \dfrac{(2\sqrt{2})^2 \cdot \sin(120)}{2} = 4 \cdot \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2} = 2\sqrt{3}</math> using the formula for the area of a triangle with sine <math>\left([\triangle ABC]= \dfrac{1}{2} AB \cdot BC \sin(\angle ABC)\right)</math>. Because <math>\triangle ACG</math> and <math>\triangle BCG</math> are congruent to <math>\triangle ABG</math>, they also have an area of <math>2\sqrt{3}</math>. Therefore, <math>[\triangle ABC] = 3(2\sqrt{3}) = 6\sqrt{3}</math>. Squaring that gives us the answer of <math>\boxed{\textbf{(C) }108}</math>.
 
WLOG, let the centroid of <math>\triangle ABC</math> be <math>G = (1, 1)</math> and let point <math>A</math> be <math>(-1, -1)</math>. It is known that the centroid is equidistant from the three vertices of <math>\triangle ABC</math>. Because we have the coordinates of both <math>A</math> and <math>G</math>, we know that the distance from <math>G</math> to any vertice of <math>\triangle ABC</math> is <math>\sqrt{(1-(-1))^2+(1-(-1))^2} = 2\sqrt{2}</math>. Therefore, <math>AG=BG=CG=2\sqrt{2}</math>. It follows that from <math>\triangle ABG</math>, where <math>AG=BG=2\sqrt{2}</math> and <math>\angle AGB = \dfrac{360^{\circ}}{3} = 120^{\circ}</math>, <math>[\triangle ABG]= \dfrac{(2\sqrt{2})^2 \cdot \sin(120)}{2} = 4 \cdot \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2} = 2\sqrt{3}</math> using the formula for the area of a triangle with sine <math>\left([\triangle ABC]= \dfrac{1}{2} AB \cdot BC \sin(\angle ABC)\right)</math>. Because <math>\triangle ACG</math> and <math>\triangle BCG</math> are congruent to <math>\triangle ABG</math>, they also have an area of <math>2\sqrt{3}</math>. Therefore, <math>[\triangle ABC] = 3(2\sqrt{3}) = 6\sqrt{3}</math>. Squaring that gives us the answer of <math>\boxed{\textbf{(C) }108}</math>.
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==Solution 4 (5-second sol)==
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WLOG let the centroid of the triangle be <math>(1, 1)</math>. By symmetry, one of the vertices is <math>(-1, -1)</math>. The distance between these two points is <math>2\sqrt2</math>, so the height of the triangle is <math>3\sqrt 2</math> because the centroid divides each median into a 2:1 ratio. This means that the side length of the triangle is <math>2\sqrt 6</math>, so the area is <math>6\sqrt 3</math> our answer is <math>\boxed{\textbf{(C) }108}</math>.
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-Stormersyle 
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
 
{{AMC10 box|year=2017|ab=B|num-b=23|num-a=25}}
 
{{AMC10 box|year=2017|ab=B|num-b=23|num-a=25}}
 
{{MAA Notice}}
 
{{MAA Notice}}

Revision as of 12:49, 28 January 2019

Problem 24

The vertices of an equilateral triangle lie on the hyperbola $xy=1$, and a vertex of this hyperbola is the centroid of the triangle. What is the square of the area of the triangle?

$\textbf{(A)}\ 48\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 60\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 108\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 120\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 169$

Solution

WLOG, let the centroid of $\triangle ABC$ be $I = (-1,-1)$. The centroid of an equilateral triangle is the same as the circumcenter. It follows that the circumcircle must intersect the graph exactly three times. Therefore, $A = (1,1)$, so $AI = BI = CI = 2\sqrt{2}$, so since $\triangle AIB$ is isosceles and $\angle AIB = 120^{\circ}$, then by Law of Cosines, $AB = 2\sqrt{6}$. Alternatively, we can use the fact that the circumradius of an equilateral triangle is equal to $\frac {s}{\sqrt{3}}$. Therefore, the area of the triangle is $\frac{(2\sqrt{6})^2\sqrt{3}}4 = 6\sqrt{3}$, so the square of the area of the triangle is $\boxed{\textbf{(C) } 108}$.

Solution 2

WLOG, let the centroid of $\triangle ABC$ be $G = (-1,-1)$. Then, one of the vertices must be the other curve of the hyperbola. WLOG, let $A = (1,1)$. Then, point $B$ must be the reflection of $C$ across the line $y=x$, so let $B = (a,\frac{1}{a})$ and $C=(\frac{1}{a},a)$, where $a <-1$. Because $G$ is the centroid, the average of the $x$-coordinates of the vertices of the triangle is $-1$. So we know that $a + 1/a+ 1 = -3$. Multiplying by $a$ and solving gives us $a=-2-\sqrt{3}$. So $B=(-2-\sqrt{3},-2+\sqrt{3})$ and $C=(-2+\sqrt{3},-2-\sqrt{3})$. So $BC=2\sqrt{6}$, and finding the square of the area gives us $\boxed{\textbf{(C) } 108}$.

Solution 3

WLOG, let the centroid of $\triangle ABC$ be $G = (1, 1)$ and let point $A$ be $(-1, -1)$. It is known that the centroid is equidistant from the three vertices of $\triangle ABC$. Because we have the coordinates of both $A$ and $G$, we know that the distance from $G$ to any vertice of $\triangle ABC$ is $\sqrt{(1-(-1))^2+(1-(-1))^2} = 2\sqrt{2}$. Therefore, $AG=BG=CG=2\sqrt{2}$. It follows that from $\triangle ABG$, where $AG=BG=2\sqrt{2}$ and $\angle AGB = \dfrac{360^{\circ}}{3} = 120^{\circ}$, $[\triangle ABG]= \dfrac{(2\sqrt{2})^2 \cdot \sin(120)}{2} = 4 \cdot \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2} = 2\sqrt{3}$ using the formula for the area of a triangle with sine $\left([\triangle ABC]= \dfrac{1}{2} AB \cdot BC \sin(\angle ABC)\right)$. Because $\triangle ACG$ and $\triangle BCG$ are congruent to $\triangle ABG$, they also have an area of $2\sqrt{3}$. Therefore, $[\triangle ABC] = 3(2\sqrt{3}) = 6\sqrt{3}$. Squaring that gives us the answer of $\boxed{\textbf{(C) }108}$.

Solution 4 (5-second sol)

WLOG let the centroid of the triangle be $(1, 1)$. By symmetry, one of the vertices is $(-1, -1)$. The distance between these two points is $2\sqrt2$, so the height of the triangle is $3\sqrt 2$ because the centroid divides each median into a 2:1 ratio. This means that the side length of the triangle is $2\sqrt 6$, so the area is $6\sqrt 3$ our answer is $\boxed{\textbf{(C) }108}$. -Stormersyle

See Also

2017 AMC 10B (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 23
Followed by
Problem 25
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
All AMC 10 Problems and Solutions

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