A paper rhombus ABCD, with side lengths 4 and ∠ABC=60∘, is folded so that B coincides with the mid-point H of AD and creased. Prove that the length of the crease is 2121.
Solution
Let EF be the crease such that E is on AB and F on BC. Join H to C, F and E.
The crease EF lies along the perpendicular bisector of HB and the triangles △EHF and △EBF are congruent. If we let x=∣AE∣ and y=∣CF∣, then ∣EH∣=∣EB∣=4−x and ∣HF∣=∣BF∣=4−y.
In triangle EHA we have ∣AH∣=2 and ∠HAE=120∘, thus the cosine rule reads (4−x)2=22+x2−4xcos(120∘)=x2+2x+4 and so we have 10x=12, i.e. x=6/5, thus ∣EB∣=4−x=14/5.
In triangle HDC we have ∣HD∣=2, ∣DC∣=4 and ∠HDC=60∘, and the cosine rule gives ∣HC∣2=4+16−16cos(60∘)=12. In particular, ∣HC∣2+∣HD∣2=∣CD∣2 and so ∠FCH=∠CHD=90∘. Therefore we have ∣HF∣2=∣HC∣2+∣CF∣2, i.e. (4−y)2=12+y2 and so 4=8y, that is y=1/2. This implies ∣BF∣=4−y=7/2.
The cosine rule for triangle BEF now gives ∣EF∣2∣EF∣=∣BF∣2+∣EB∣2−2∣BF∣⋅∣EB∣cos(60∘)=(27)2+(514)2−2⋅27⋅514⋅21=10021⋅49,and so=10721
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