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2003 AMC 12B Problem 10

Problem 10 of 25EasierProblem-Solving Techniques

Several figures can be made by attaching two equilateral triangles to the regular pentagon ABCDEABCDE in two of the five positions shown. How many non-congruent figures can be constructed in this way?

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Solution

Assume one triangle is attached to side AB.AB. The second triangle can be attached to a side that is one step away or two steps away from AB.AB. Attaching it to BCBC or CDCD gives two figures; attaching it to AEAE or DEDE gives figures that are mirror images of these across the pentagon’s axis of symmetry. So there are only 22 non-congruent figures. Thus, the correct answer is B.
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