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Geometry Difficulty 2.8 Junior Find the answer

In a rectangle PQRSP Q R S with PQ=5P Q=5 and QR=3Q R=3, PRP R is divided into three segments of equal length by points TT and UU. What is the area of quadrilateral STQUS T Q U?

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Since PQRSP Q R S is a rectangle, then PQP Q is perpendicular to QRQ R. Therefore, the area of PQR\triangle P Q R is 12(PQ)(QR)=12(5)(3)=152\frac{1}{2}(P Q)(Q R)=\frac{1}{2}(5)(3)=\frac{15}{2}. Since PT=TU=URP T=T U=U R, then the areas of PTQ,TUQ\triangle P T Q, \triangle T U Q and URQ\triangle U R Q are equal. Therefore, the area of TUQ\triangle T U Q is 13(152)=52\frac{1}{3}\left(\frac{15}{2}\right)=\frac{5}{2}. Similarly, the area of TUS\triangle T U S is 52\frac{5}{2}. The area of quadrilateral STQUS T Q U is the sum of the areas of TUQ\triangle T U Q and TUS\triangle T U S, or 52+52=5\frac{5}{2}+\frac{5}{2}=5.

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