The large rectangle below is divided into two congruent triangles by one of its diagonals. We inscribe a circle into one of the triangles, and then drop perpendiculars from the center of the circle to two sides of the large rectangle, as shown in the diagram.
Which has a larger area, the resulting blue rectangle or the remaining yellow hexagon?
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And what about the area of the other part of the blue region and the other part of the yellow region? Regards, David
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Oh, I see. You have noted that the 2 areas of the congruent triangles
If we set the base of the rectangle to be a and the height as 1 , from Heron's formula, the radius of the circle will be R = 1 + a + 1 + a 2 a
The area of the rectangle will be A □ = ( 1 − R ) ( a − R )
And the yellow area will become A h e x = a R + R − R 2
Their difference A = A □ − A h e x = a − 2 a R − 2 R + 2 R 2
A = ( 1 + a + 1 + a 2 ) 2 1 ( a ( 1 + a + 1 + a 2 ) 2 − 2 a 2 ( 1 + a + 1 + a 2 ) − 2 a ( 1 + a + 1 + a 2 ) + 2 a 2 ) = 0
Consider a
3
×
4
rectangle.
Measuring diagonal length by two methods and equating them also provides the solution.
Diagonal length = sum of lengths of two tangents = (a-r) + (b-r), where a and b are side lengths of rectangle and r is radius.
Diagonal length is also √(a^2+b^2).
Squaring and equating the two gives,.
(a-r)^2 + (b-r)^2 + 2(a-r)(b-r) = a^2 + b^2.
2(a-r)(b-r) = {a^2-(a-r)^2} + {b^2-(b-r)^2}.
= r(2a-r) + r(2b-r) = 2r(a+b-r).
Or, (a - r)(b - r) = r(a + b - r).
But LHS is equal to Blue area and RHS is equal to Yellow area.
So, Blue area = Yellow area
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We drop perpendiculars from O the diagonal. Then ∠ A F E = ∠ O F G and ∠ A E F = ∠ F G O = 9 0 ° . Since O G is a radius of the circle, and A E = O X = O G , the A E F and F G O triangles are coincident. Similarly the O G H , I H C triangles are coincident too. So [ O I D E ] = [ A C D ] = 2 1 [ A B C D ] .
So the two area is equal.