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2018 AMC 10B Problem 10

Problem 10 of 25EasierGeometry

In the rectangular parallelepiped shown, AB=3,AB = 3, BC=1,BC = 1, and CG=2.CG = 2. Point MM is the midpoint of FG.FG. What is the volume of the rectangular pyramid with base BCHEBCHE and apex M?M?

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Solution

Put AA at the origin with edges along the axes: A=(0,0,0),A = (0,0,0), B=(3,0,0),B = (3,0,0), C=(3,1,0),C = (3,1,0), E=(0,0,2),E = (0,0,2), H=(0,1,2),H = (0,1,2), F=(3,0,2),F = (3,0,2), G=(3,1,2),G = (3,1,2), so M=(3,12,2).M = (3, \tfrac12, 2). The base BCHEBCHE is a rectangle with BC=1BC = 1 and BE=32+22=13,BE = \sqrt{3^2 + 2^2} = \sqrt{13}, hence area 13.\sqrt{13}. Its plane is 2x+3z=6,2x + 3z = 6, and MM sits at distance 23+32613=613\frac{|2\cdot3 + 3\cdot2 - 6|}{\sqrt{13}} = \frac{6}{\sqrt{13}} from it. The volume is 1313613=2.\tfrac13 \cdot \sqrt{13} \cdot \frac{6}{\sqrt{13}} = 2. Therefore, the answer is E.

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Concepts: volume · pyramid · coordinate geometry

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