Problem:
Rectangle and right triangle have the same area. They are joined to form a trapezoid, as shown. What is
Answer Choices:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Solution:
The area of rectangle is . The area of triangle is also , which is half of the product , so that product is . Because must equal , and by the Pythagorean Theorem, .
Answer: .
The problems on this page are the property of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions