Tuesday, 12 July 2016

geometry - Length of Line in a Square



The shape in question



Let ABCD be a square and X a point such that A and X are on opposite sides of CD. The lines AX and BX intersect CD in Y and Z respectively. If the area of ABCD is one and area XYZ=23 what is the length of YZ.




I worked the area of trapezium ABYZ to equal YZ:



Area of square not covered by triangle=(1YZ)(1)



reason (area of rectangle=Length×Breadth)



Therefore area of trapezium=1(Area of rectangle)=1(1YZ)=YZ.



Area of trapezium=(a+b2)h

Therefore: YZ=(1+YZ)2(h=1)



YZ=1.



Where did I go wrong.



EDIT please do not give the answer


Answer



Here is your mistake: You worked out the area of the trapezoid by the formula for the area of the rectangle. However, a trapezoid is not a rectangle, so the area of the trapezoid is not equal to YZ.




You were in the right direction though. One way to go about it would be to subtract from 1 the area of the triangles ADY and BCZ... Try it :)


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