AMC 10 Step by Step

2008 AMC 10A Problem 19

P16-20~5 minPrint

Rectangle PQRSPQRS lies in a plane with PQ=RS=2PQ=RS=2 and QR=SP=6QR=SP=6 . The rectangle is rotated 90∘90^\circ clockwise about RR , then rotated 90∘90^\circ clockwise about the point SS moved to after the first rotation. What is the length of the path traveled by point PP ?

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Key insight

Each turn moves P along a quarter circle. Its radius is the diagonal PR, root 40, for the first turn and the side PS = 6 for the second.

Solution

1. When a shape turns 90∘90^\circ around a point, every other point of the shape moves along a quarter of a circle centered at that point. The radius is the point's distance from the pivot. A quarter circle of radius dd has length
14×2πd=πd2.\frac{1}{4} \times 2\pi d = \frac{\pi d}{2}.
2. First turn, around RR. In rectangle PQRSPQRS, PP and RR are opposite corners, so PRPR is the diagonal. By the Pythagorean theorem,
PR=22+62=40=210.PR = \sqrt{2^2 + 6^2} = \sqrt{40} = 2\sqrt{10}.
So PP travels π2×210=10 π\frac{\pi}{2} \times 2\sqrt{10} = \sqrt{10}\,\pi.
3. Second turn, around the new position of SS. Turning does not stretch the rectangle, so PP is still SP=6SP = 6 away from SS. So PP travels π2×6=3π\frac{\pi}{2} \times 6 = 3\pi.
4. Add the two arcs:
10 π+3π=(3+10)π.\sqrt{10}\,\pi + 3\pi = \left(3 + \sqrt{10}\right)\pi.

The answer is (C) (3+10)π\boxed{\textbf{(C)}\ \left(3+\sqrt{10}\right)\pi}.

Why this works

Turning a shape moves each point along a circle around the pivot, and the radius is simply that point's distance from the pivot. Distances inside the rectangle never change, so you only need two lengths: PP to RR for the first turn and PP to SS for the second. No coordinates or drawings of the new positions are needed.

Concise solution

A shorter write-up, the way contest solutions are usually written. It may take a different route from the solution above.

Under a rotation of 90∘90^\circ about a point XX, any point YY travels a quarter of a circle of radius XYXY, an arc of length 14⋅2π⋅XY=π2XY\frac14 \cdot 2\pi \cdot XY = \frac{\pi}{2} XY.

First rotation, about RR. In rectangle PQRSPQRS the vertices PP and RR are opposite, so PRPR is the diagonal:
PR=22+62=40=210.PR = \sqrt{2^2 + 6^2} = \sqrt{40} = 2\sqrt{10}.
PP travels π2⋅210=10 π\frac{\pi}{2} \cdot 2\sqrt{10} = \sqrt{10}\,\pi.

Second rotation, about the new position of SS. Rotations preserve distances within the rectangle, so PP is still SP=6SP = 6 from SS. PP travels π2⋅6=3π\frac{\pi}{2} \cdot 6 = 3\pi.

Total path length: 10 π+3π=(3+10)π\sqrt{10}\,\pi + 3\pi = (3 + \sqrt{10})\pi.

The answer is (C) (3+10)π\boxed{\textbf{(C)}\ \left(3+\sqrt{10}\right)\pi}.

Review in the AoPS books

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Problem © Mathematical Association of America (MAA), American Mathematics Competitions. Reproduced for non-commercial educational use. Solution and commentary are original to this site.