Circles Packed Into A Trapezoid

Geometry Level 5

The diagram shows an isosceles trapezium divided into two triangles each inscribing a circle. Given that the length of the upper base of the trapezium is 9 and the diameters of the circles are 4 and 7, find the length of the lower base.


The answer is 21.

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3 solutions

汶良 林
Feb 15, 2016

Ahmed Moh AbuBakr
Feb 12, 2016

@Ahmed Moh AbuBakr , we have converted your report into a solution. If you subscribe to this solution, you will receive notifications about future comments.

Brilliant Mathematics Staff - 5 years, 4 months ago

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How? ?????

Ahmed Moh AbuBakr - 5 years, 4 months ago

@Brilliant Mathematics ... Can you edit this ... I made a mistake by clicking on the button of viewing solution

Ahmed Moh AbuBakr - 5 years, 4 months ago

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You can edit your own solution by clicking the "Edit" button.

Brilliant Mathematics Staff - 5 years, 4 months ago

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@Brilliant Mathematics No ... I am talking about the problem I clicked the button of viewing the solution

Ahmed Moh AbuBakr - 5 years, 4 months ago

@Ahmed Moh AbuBakr, what software did you use?

A Former Brilliant Member - 5 years, 4 months ago

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A latex programming .... But now I use a better program (math type) better than this

Ahmed Moh AbuBakr - 5 years, 4 months ago
Mark Hennings
Feb 13, 2016

If we feel inspired, and guess that the base has length 21 \boxed{21} and that the trapezium has height 8 8 , then simple Pythagoras shows that two other sides have length 10 10 , and that the two diagonals have length 17 17 . The figure is full of ( 6 , 8 , 10 ) (6,8,10) and ( 8 , 15 , 17 ) (8,15,17) Pythagorean triads.

That a triangle with sides 9 , 10.17 9,10.17 has inradius 2 2 , and that a triangle with sides 10 , 17 , 21 10,17,21 has inradius 3.5 3.5 is easy to check.

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