Doubling The Angle Does What Exactly?

Geometry Level 3

The above shows two right triangles whose areas are equal. Find a + b a+b .


The answer is 9.

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3 solutions

Tarmo Taipale
Oct 27, 2016

Relevant wiki: Tangent - Sum and Difference Formulas

As the areas are equal, we get:

1 2 × 2 × a = 1 2 × 4 × b \frac{1}{2}\times2\times{a}=\frac{1}{2}\times4\times{b}

a = 2 b a=2b

Now let's take a look at the qiven angles and use the following formula tan ( 2 α ) = 2 tan ( α ) 1 tan 2 ( α ) \tan(2\alpha)=\frac{2\tan(\alpha)}{1-\tan^2(\alpha)} :

Judging by the triangles, we get: tan ( α ) = 2 a \tan(\alpha)=\frac{2}{a} and tan ( 2 α ) = b 4 \tan(2\alpha)=\frac{b}{4} , which leads into

b 4 = 2 × 2 a 1 ( 2 a ) 2 \frac{b}{4}=\frac{2\times{\frac{2}{a}}}{1-(\frac{2}{a})^2}

Substituting a = 2 b a=2b leads into:

b 4 = 2 b 1 ( 1 b ) 2 \frac{b}{4}=\frac{\frac{2}{b}}{1-(\frac{1}{b})^2}

b 1 b = 8 b b-\frac{1}{b}=\frac{8}{b} , as 1 ( 1 b ) 2 = 0 1-(\frac{1}{b})^2=0 would mean b = 1 b=1 and a = 2 a=2 , so α = π 4 \alpha=\frac{\pi}{4} and 2 α = π 2 2\alpha=\frac{\pi}{2} , so the triangle with 2 α 2\alpha wouldn't exist.

b 2 1 = 8 b^2-1=8

b = ± 3 b=\pm 3

a = 2 b = 2 × 3 = 6 a=2b=2\times3=6 which means a + b = 6 + 3 = 9 a+b=6+3=\boxed{9} .

Nice usage of the double angle formula.

Sharky Kesa - 4 years, 7 months ago

Thanks Sharky Kesa!

Tarmo Taipale - 4 years, 7 months ago
Daniel Ferreira
Oct 30, 2016

Do triângulo I, temos que:

tan α = 2 a sin α cos α = 2 a \\ \mathsf{\tan \alpha = \frac{2}{a} \Leftrightarrow \frac{\sin \alpha}{\cos \alpha} = \frac{2}{a}}

Desse modo, k N \mathsf{\exists \ k \in \mathbb{N}} tal que sin α = 2 k \mathsf{\sin \alpha = 2 \cdot k} e cos α = a k \mathsf{\cos \alpha = a \cdot k} .

Do triângulo II, temos:

tan ( 2 α ) = b 4 sin ( 2 α ) cos ( 2 α ) = b 4 2 sin α cos α cos 2 α sin 2 α = b 4 2 2 k a k a 2 k 2 4 k 2 = b 4 \\ \large \mathsf{\tan (2\alpha) = \frac{b}{4}} \\\\\\ \mathsf{\frac{\sin (2\alpha)}{\cos (2\alpha)} = \frac{b}{4}} \\\\\\ \mathsf{\frac{2 \cdot \sin \alpha \cdot \cos \alpha}{\cos^2 \alpha - \sin^2 \alpha} = \frac{b}{4}} \\\\\\ \mathsf{\frac{2 \cdot 2k \cdot ak}{a^2k^2 - 4k^2} = \frac{b}{4}}

4 a k 2 ( a 2 4 ) k 2 = b 4 4 a ( a 2 4 ) = b 4 \\ \large \mathsf{\frac{4a\diagup \!\!\!\! k^2}{(a^2 - 4)\diagup \!\!\!\! k^2} = \frac{b}{4}} \\\\\\ \mathsf{\frac{4a}{(a^2 - 4)} = \frac{b}{4}}

Mas, de acordo com o enunciado as áreas são iguais, então:

a 2 2 = 4 b 2 2 a = 4 b a = 2 b \\ \mathsf{\frac{a \cdot 2}{2} = \frac{4 \cdot b}{2}} \\\\\\ \mathsf{2a = 4b} \\\\\\ \mathsf{a = 2b}

Isto posto,

4 a a 2 4 = b 4 4 2 b 4 b 2 4 = b 4 8 b 4 ( b 2 1 ) = b 4 b 2 1 = 8 b = ± 3 b = 3 \\ \large \mathsf{\frac{4a}{a^2 - 4} = \frac{b}{4}} \\\\\\ \mathsf{\frac{4 \cdot 2b}{4b^2 - 4} = \frac{b}{4}} \\\\\\ \mathsf{\frac{8b}{4(b^2 - 1)} = \frac{b}{4}} \\\\\\ \mathsf{b^2 - 1 = 8} \\\\\\ \mathsf{b = \pm 3} \\\\\\ \boxed{\mathsf{b = 3}}

Com efeito, uma vez que a = 2 b \mathsf{a = 2b} , tiramos que: a = 6 \boxed{\mathsf{a = 6}}

Por fim,

a + b = 6 + 3 a + b = 9 \\ \mathsf{a + b = 6 + 3} \\\\ \boxed{\boxed{\mathsf{a + b = 9}}}

Juan Fabregas
Nov 5, 2016

There are some special right triangles, one of them has sides of 3,4,5. Since the both triangles has the same are and taking b as 3 we have an area of 6 we would need a 6 on a to get an area of 6 on that triangle. Therfore 6+3=9

Now you just assumed one triangle is a special right triangle and replaced b with 3. Your answer happened to be correct, but how do you know that the angle opposing b is twice as much as the angle opposing 2 in the other triangle when b=3?

Tarmo Taipale - 4 years, 7 months ago

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