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2008 AMC 12B Problem 18

Problem 18 of 25IntermediateGeometry

A pyramid has a square base ABCDABCD and vertex E.E. The area of square ABCDABCD is 196,196, and the areas of △ABE\triangle ABE and △CDE\triangle CDE are 105105 and 91,91, respectively. What is the volume of the pyramid?

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Solution

The square has side 196=14.\sqrt{196} = 14. Let FF and GG be the feet of the perpendiculars from EE to ABAB and CD.CD. Then FG=14,FG = 14, EF=2⋅10514=15,EF = \tfrac{2 \cdot 105}{14} = 15, and EG=2⋅9114=13.EG = \tfrac{2 \cdot 91}{14} = 13. Triangle EFGEFG lies in a plane perpendicular to the base, so its altitude to FGFG is the pyramid’s height. By Heron’s formula with s=21,s = 21, its area is 21⋅6⋅8⋅7=84,\sqrt{21 \cdot 6 \cdot 8 \cdot 7} = 84, so the altitude to FGFG is 2⋅8414=12.\tfrac{2 \cdot 84}{14} = 12. The volume is 13⋅196⋅12=784.\tfrac13 \cdot 196 \cdot 12 = 784. Thus, the correct answer is E.
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Tagged: pyramid · volume · Heron’s Formula

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