2003 AMC 12B Problem 25
Problem 25 of 25HarderGeometryCounting & Probability
Three points are chosen randomly and independently on a circle. What is the probability that all three pairwise distances between the points are less than the radius of the circle?
Answer choices
Show solution
Solution
A chord has length less than the radius exactly when the arc it subtends is less than since a chord of a arc equals the radius.
All three pairwise chords are shorter than the radius precisely when the three points all lie within some arc of
For any successful configuration, exactly one of the three points is the counterclockwise endpoint of such a containing arc (apart from probability-zero boundary cases). Choose that endpoint in ways; each of the other two points independently has probability of lying in the next Hence the probability is
Thus, the correct answer is D.