AMC 10 Step by Step

2020 AMC 10B Problem 20

P16-20~6 minPrint

Let BB be a right rectangular prism (box) with edges lengths 1,1, 3,3, and 44 , together with its interior. For real r≥0r\geq0 , let S(r)S(r) be the set of points in 33 -dimensional space that lie within a distance rr of some point in BB . The volume of S(r)S(r) can be expressed as ar3+br2+cr+dar^{3} + br^{2} + cr +d , where a,a, b,b, c,c, and dd are positive real numbers. What is bcad?\frac{bc}{ad}?

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Key insight

The region is the box, plus slabs on the six faces, plus quarter-cylinders along the twelve edges, plus eighth-balls at the eight corners. Each kind gives one power of r.

Solution

Warm-up in two dimensions. Take a flat rectangle and all points within rr of it. You get the rectangle, plus a strip of width rr along each side, plus a quarter-circle of radius rr at each corner. The four quarter-circles together make one full circle. The same idea works for the box.

Sort the points of S(r)S(r) by which part of the box they are closest to.

1. The box itself. Volume 1×3×4=121 \times 3 \times 4 = 12. This has no rr, so d=12d = 12.
2. Next to a face. Over each face sits a flat slab of thickness rr. Its volume is (area of face) × r\times\, r. The six faces have total area
2(1×3+3×4+4×1)=2(3+12+4)=38,2(1 \times 3 + 3 \times 4 + 4 \times 1) = 2(3 + 12 + 4) = 38,
so the slabs have volume 38r38r, and c=38c = 38.
3. Next to an edge. Along each edge, the slabs on the two faces meeting there leave a gap shaped like a quarter of a cylinder (the faces meet at a right angle, which is a quarter turn). The box has 44 edges of each length 11, 33 and 44, so the total edge length is 4(1+3+4)=324(1 + 3 + 4) = 32. The quarter-cylinders add up to
14×πr2×32=8πr2,\frac14 \times \pi r^2 \times 32 = 8\pi r^2,
so b=8πb = 8\pi.
4. Next to a corner. At each of the 88 corners sits one eighth of a ball of radius rr. Eight eighths make one whole ball:
43πr3,\frac43 \pi r^3,
so a=4π3a = \frac{4\pi}{3}.
5. Compute.
bcad=8π×384π3×12=304π16π=19.\frac{bc}{ad} = \frac{8\pi \times 38}{\frac{4\pi}{3} \times 12} = \frac{304\pi}{16\pi} = 19.

The answer is (B) 19\boxed{\textbf{(B)}\ 19}.

Why this works

Points near a box split up by what they are nearest to: the inside, a face, an edge, or a corner. Faces give slabs (volume grows like rr), edges give pieces of cylinders (like r2r^2), and corners give pieces of a ball (like r3r^3). All the angles of a box are right angles, so the edge pieces are quarter-cylinders and the eight corner pieces fit together into exactly one ball.

Concise solution

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

Sort the points of S(r)S(r) by which part of the box is nearest to them.

  • The box itself: volume 1⋅3⋅4=121 \cdot 3 \cdot 4 = 12. So d=12d = 12.
  • Points nearest a face: a slab of thickness rr on each face, total volume (surface area) × r\times\, r. Surface area =2(1⋅3+3⋅4+4⋅1)=38= 2(1\cdot3 + 3\cdot4 + 4\cdot1) = 38. So c=38c = 38.
  • Points nearest an edge: along each edge a quarter-cylinder of radius rr (the slabs on the two adjacent faces meet at a right angle, leaving a 90∘90^\circ wedge). Total edge length =4(1+3+4)=32= 4(1 + 3 + 4) = 32, so the volume is 14πr2⋅32=8πr2\tfrac14 \pi r^2 \cdot 32 = 8\pi r^2. So b=8πb = 8\pi.
  • Points nearest a vertex: an eighth of a sphere at each of the 88 corners, together one full sphere: 43πr3\tfrac43 \pi r^3. So a=4π3a = \tfrac{4\pi}{3}.

Then
bcad=8π⋅384π3⋅12=304π16π=19.\frac{bc}{ad} = \frac{8\pi \cdot 38}{\frac{4\pi}{3}\cdot 12} = \frac{304\pi}{16\pi} = 19.

The answer is (B) 19\boxed{\textbf{(B)}\ 19}.

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.