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2002 AMC 12B Problem 18

Problem 18 of 25IntermediateGeometryCounting & Probability

A point PP is randomly selected from the rectangular region with vertices (0,0),(0,0), (2,0),(2,0), (2,1),(2,1), (0,1).(0,1). What is the probability that PP is closer to the origin than it is to the point (3,1)?(3,1)?

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Solution

The points closer to (0,0)(0,0) than to (3,1)(3,1) lie on the origin side of the perpendicular bisector of that segment, the line 3x+y=5.3x+y=5. Within the rectangle, this region is a trapezoid whose parallel sides have lengths 53\dfrac53 (at y=0y=0) and 43\dfrac43 (at y=1y=1), so its area is 12(53+43)=32.\dfrac12\left(\dfrac53+\dfrac43\right)=\dfrac32. The rectangle has area 2,2, so the probability is 322=34.\dfrac{\frac{3}{2}}{2}=\dfrac34. Thus, the correct answer is C.

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Concepts: geometric probability · perpendicular bisector · trapezoid

Problem text and solution from the LIVE past-contest archive. See also the AoPS wiki page for community solutions.