A geometry problem about triangles

Geometry Level 3

The above shows 3 triangles touching each other but without overlapping.
ABC is an equilateral triangle.
AHC and BCK are both right triangles.
BK = 4 and AH = 3.
Find the length of AB.

Give your answer to 2 decimal places.


The answer is 4.16.

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2 solutions

L e t H C A = α . B C K = 180 60 α = 120 α . S o S i n ( 120 α ) S i n α = S i n 120 C o t α C o s 120 = 1 2 ( 3 C o t α + 1 ) . C o s 120 = 1 2 . I n Δ s A H C a n d B C K , A C = A H S i n α = 3 S i n α , a n d B C = B K S i n ( 120 α ) = 4 S i n ( 120 α ) , A B = A C = B C , 4 3 = S i n ( 120 α ) S i n α = 1 2 ( 3 C o t α + 1 ) . C o t α = 8 3 1 3 = 5 3 3 . 1 S i n α 2 = ( 5 3 3 ) 2 + 1 A B = A C = 3 S i n α = 3 25 + 27 3 3 = 4.16. Let\ \angle HCA=\alpha.\ \ \ \therefore\ \angle BCK=180-60-\alpha=120-\alpha.\\ So\ \dfrac {Sin(120-\alpha)}{Sin\alpha}=Sin120*Cot\alpha-Cos120=\color{#3D99F6}{\frac1 2 *(\sqrt3*Cot\alpha+1)}.\ \ \ \ Cos120=-\frac 1 2.\\ In \ \Delta s\ AHC\ and\ BCK,\\ AC=\dfrac{AH}{Sin\alpha}=\dfrac 3 {Sin\alpha},\ \ \ and\ \ \ BC=\dfrac{BK}{Sin(120-\alpha)}=\dfrac 4 {Sin(120-\alpha)}, \\ AB=AC=BC,\\ \ \implies\ \dfrac 4 3=\dfrac{Sin(120-\alpha)}{ Sin\alpha}=\frac1 2 *(\sqrt3*Cot\alpha+1).\\ \therefore\ Cot\alpha=\dfrac{\dfrac 8 3 -1}{\sqrt3}=\dfrac 5 {3\sqrt3}.\\ \therefore\ \dfrac 1 {Sin\alpha^2}=( \dfrac 5 {3\sqrt3} )^2+1\\ AB=AC=\dfrac 3 {Sin\alpha}=3\sqrt{\dfrac {25+27}{3\sqrt3}}=\Large\ \ \ \color{#D61F06}{4.16.}

Nyc Approach!

nibedan mukherjee - 4 years, 9 months ago

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Thank you.

Niranjan Khanderia - 4 years, 9 months ago
Edwin Gray
May 15, 2018

(1) Draw a line through A parallel to HK, constructing a right triangle with sides a + b, 1, and S = AB. Then ((a + b)^2 + 1 = S^2, or a^2 + 2ab + b^2 + 1 = S^2. (2) From the right triangles, we have: a^2 + 9 = S^2 and b^2 + 16 = S^2. (3) Solving for 2ab from (1), and substituting for a^2 and b^2 from (2), 2ab = S^2 -1 - (S^2 -9) - (S^2 - 16), or 2ab = 24 - S^2. (4) Squaring, 4a^2b^2 = 576 - 48S^2 + S^4 = 4(S^2 - 9)(S^2 - 16) = 4S^4 - 100S^2 + 576. Equating these expressions, 3S^2 = 52, and S = 4.163. Ed Gray

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