1965 AHSME Problems/Problem 35
Problem
The length of a rectangle is 
inches and its width is less than 
inches. The rectangle is folded so that two
diagonally opposite vertices coincide. If the length of the crease is 
, then the width is:
Solution
![[asy] import geometry; point M; segment l; // Rectangle ABCD draw((0,sqrt(5))--(0,0)--(5,0)--(5,sqrt(5))--(0,sqrt(5))); dot((0,sqrt(5))); label("A", (0,sqrt(5)), NW); dot((0,0)); label("B", (0,0), SW); dot((5,0)); label("C", (5,0), SE); dot((5,sqrt(5))); label("D", (5, sqrt(5)), NE); // Segment AC and point M M=(2.5,sqrt(5)/2); l=line((0,sqrt(5)),(5,0)); draw(l); dot(M); label("M",M,W); // Segments AX, CY, and XY pair[] x=intersectionpoints(perpendicular(M,l),(0,0)--(5,0)); pair[] y=intersectionpoints(perpendicular(M,l),(0,sqrt(5))--(5,sqrt(5))); dot(x[0]); label("X",x[0],SW); dot(y[0]); label("Y",y[0],NE); draw((0,sqrt(5))--x[0]); draw((5,0)--y[0]); draw(x[0]--y[0]); // Right Angle Markers markscalefactor=0.025; draw(rightanglemark((0,sqrt(5)),M,y[0])); // Angle AMY draw(rightanglemark((5,0),M,x[0])); // Angle CMX draw(rightanglemark((0,sqrt(5)),(0,0),(5,0))); // Angle ABC draw(rightanglemark((0,sqrt(5)), (5,sqrt(5)),(5,0))); // Angle ADC // Length Labels label("$5$",(2.5,0),S); label("$w$",(0,sqrt(5)/2),W); [/asy]](http://latex.artofproblemsolving.com/3/2/4/324929779e821d36941d3de94e6dbcb25954220c.png)
See Also
| 1965 AHSC (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
| Preceded by Problem 34 |
Followed by Problem 36 | |
| 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 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 | ||
| All AHSME Problems and Solutions | ||
The problems on this page are copyrighted by the Mathematical Association of America's American Mathematics Competitions. 
