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2021 AMC 10B Problem 21

Problem 21 of 25HarderGeometry

A square piece of paper has side length 11 and vertices A,A, B,B, C,C, and DD in that order. As shown in the figure, the paper is folded so that vertex CC meets edge AD\overline{AD} at point C,C', and edge BC\overline{BC} intersects edge AB\overline{AB} at point E.E. Suppose that CD=13.C'D = \frac{1}{3}. What is the perimeter of AEC?\triangle AEC'?

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Solution

Use coordinates with A=(0,1),A=(0,1), B=(0,0),B=(0,0), C=(1,0),C=(1,0), and D=(1,1).D=(1,1). Since CD=13,C'D=\frac13, we have C=(23,1),C'=(\frac23,1), so AC=23.AC'=\frac23. The fold reflects CC to C,C', so the image of side BCBC is the line through CC' and E.E. Reflecting B=(0,0)B=(0,0) across the perpendicular bisector of CCCC' gives (215,25).(-\frac{2}{15},\frac25). The line through this point and CC' meets ABAB at E=(0,12).E=(0,\frac12). Thus AE=12,AE=\frac12, and EC=(23)2+(12)2=56.EC'=\sqrt{\left(\frac23\right)^2+\left(\frac12\right)^2}=\frac56. The perimeter of AEC\triangle AEC' is 12+23+56=2.\frac12+\frac23+\frac56=2. Thus, the answer is A .

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Concepts: paper folding · coordinate geometry

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