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Difference between revisions of "2008 AMC 12B Problems/Problem 9"
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The [[Trigonometric_identities#Half_Angle_Identities | half-angle formula]] says that
 
The [[Trigonometric_identities#Half_Angle_Identities | half-angle formula]] says that
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<math>\cos(\alpha/2) = \frac{\sqrt{1+\cos(\alpha)}}{2} = \sqrt{\frac{32/25}{2}} = \sqrt{\frac{16}{25}} = \frac{4}{5}</math>. The law of cosines tells us <math>AC = \sqrt{5^2+5^2-2*5\cdot 5\cdot \frac{4}{5}} = \sqrt{50-50\frac{4}{5}} = \sqrt{10}</math>, which is answer choice <math>\boxed{\text{A}}</math>.
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<math>\cos(\alpha/2) = \frac{\sqrt{1+\cos(\alpha)}}{2} = \sqrt{\frac{32/25}{2}} = \sqrt{\frac{16}{25}} = \frac{4}{5}</math>. The law of cosines tells us <math>AC = \sqrt{5^2+5^2-2\cdot 5\cdot 5\cdot \frac{4}{5}} = \sqrt{50-50\frac{4}{5}} = \sqrt{10}</math>, which is answer choice <math>\boxed{\text{A}}</math>.
  
 
===Solution 2===
 
===Solution 2===

Revision as of 23:23, 14 August 2011

Problem 9

Points $A$ and $B$ are on a circle of radius $5$ and $AB = 6$. Point $C$ is the midpoint of the minor arc $AB$. What is the length of the line segment $AC$?

$\textbf{(A)}\ \sqrt {10} \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \frac {7}{2} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \sqrt {14} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \sqrt {15} \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 4$

Solutions

Solution 1

Let $\alpha$ be the angle that subtends the arc $AB$. By the law of cosines, $6^2=5^2+5^2-2\cdot 5\cdot 5\cos(\alpha)$ implies $\cos(\alpha) = 7/25$.

The half-angle formula says that $\cos(\alpha/2) = \frac{\sqrt{1+\cos(\alpha)}}{2} = \sqrt{\frac{32/25}{2}} = \sqrt{\frac{16}{25}} = \frac{4}{5}$. The law of cosines tells us $AC = \sqrt{5^2+5^2-2\cdot 5\cdot 5\cdot \frac{4}{5}} = \sqrt{50-50\frac{4}{5}} = \sqrt{10}$, which is answer choice $\boxed{\text{A}}$.

Solution 2

[asy] defaultpen(fontsize(8)); pair A=(-3,4), B=(3,4), C=(0,5), D=(0,4), O=(0,0); D(Circle(O,5)); D(O--B--A--O--C);D(A--C--B); label("$A$",A,(-1,1));label("$O$",O,(0,-1));label("$B$",B,(1,1));label("$C$",C,(0,1));label("$D$",D,(-1,-1)); [/asy]

Enlarge.png
Figure 1

Define $D$ as the midpoint of line segment $\overline{AB}$, and $O$ the center of the circle. Then $O$, $C$, and $D$ are collinear, and since $D$ is the midpoint of $AB$, $m\angle ODA=90\deg$ and so $OD=\sqrt{5^2-3^2}=4$. Since $OD=4$, $CD=5-4=1$, and so $AC=\sqrt{3^2+1^2}=\sqrt{10} \rightarrow \boxed{\text{A}}$.

See Also

2008 AMC 12B (Problems • Answer Key • Resources)
Preceded by
Problem 8 		Followed by
Problem 10
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 12 Problems and Solutions
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