Symmetrical Ratio

Geometry Level pending

Three squares have a common point at the circumcentre of an equilateral triangle. The squares just touch the sides. What is the ratio of OA / OB ? Give your answer to the nearest hundredths

6 2 \sqrt{6} - 2 3 4 \frac{3}{4} 3 1 \sqrt{3} - 1

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1 solution

David Vreken
Jun 4, 2021

Let O B = 1 OB = 1 and label C C and D D as follows:

By the properties of an equilateral triangle, A O D = 60 ° \angle AOD = 60° and by the properties of a square, A O C = 45 ° \angle AOC = 45° .

That means C O D = A O D B O C = 60 ° 45 ° = 15 ° \angle COD = \angle AOD - \angle BOC = 60° - 45° = 15° .

From B O D \triangle BOD , O D = O B sin 30 ° = 1 1 2 = 1 2 OD = OB \sin 30° = 1 \cdot \frac{1}{2} = \frac{1}{2} .

From C O D \triangle COD , O C = O D cos 15 ° = 1 2 1 + 3 2 2 = 2 ( 3 1 ) 2 OC = \cfrac{OD}{\cos 15°} = \cfrac{\frac{1}{2}}{\frac{1 + \sqrt{3}}{2\sqrt{2}}} = \frac{\sqrt{2}(\sqrt{3} - 1)}{2} .

From A O C \triangle AOC , O A = O C cos 45 ° = 2 ( 3 1 ) 2 2 2 = 3 1 OA = \cfrac{OC}{\cos 45°} = \cfrac{\frac{\sqrt{2}(\sqrt{3} - 1)}{2}}{\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}} = \sqrt{3} - 1 .

Therefore, the ratio O A O B = 3 1 1 = 3 1 \cfrac{OA}{OB} = \cfrac{\sqrt{3} - 1}{1} = \sqrt{3} - 1 .

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