ABCD is a parallelogram satisfying AB=7,BC=2, and ∠DAB=120∘. Parallelogram ECFA is contained in ABCD and is similar to it. Find the ratio of the area of ECFA to the area of ABCD.
A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.
Solution
First, note that BD is the long diagonal of ABCD, and AC is the long diagonal of ECFA. Because the ratio of the areas of similar figures is equal to the square of the ratio of their side lengths, we know that the ratio of the area of ECFA to the area of ABCD is equal to the ratio BD2AC2. Using law of cosines on triangle ABD, we have BD2=AD2+AB2−2(AD)(AB)cos(120∘)=22+72−2(2)(7)(−21)=67. Using law of cosines on triangle ABC, we have AC2=AB2+BC2−2(AB)(BC)cos(60∘)=72+22−2(7)(2)(21)=39. Finally, BD2AC2=6739.
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