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Geometry Difficulty 2.7 Junior Find the answer

Cube ABCDEFGHA B C D E F G H has edge length 100. Point PP is on ABA B, point QQ is on ADA D, and point RR is on AFA F, as shown, so that AP=x,AQ=x+1A P=x, A Q=x+1 and AR=x+12xA R=\frac{x+1}{2 x} for some integer xx. For how many integers xx is the volume of triangular-based pyramid APQRA P Q R between 0.04%0.04 \% and 0.08%0.08 \% of the volume of cube ABCDEFGHA B C D E F G H?

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Triangular-based pyramid APQRA P Q R can be thought of as having triangular base APQ\triangle A P Q and height ARA R. Since this pyramid is built at a vertex of the cube, then APQ\triangle A P Q is right-angled at AA and ARA R is perpendicular to the base. The area of APQ\triangle A P Q is 12×AP×AQ=12x(x+1)\frac{1}{2} \times A P \times A Q=\frac{1}{2} x(x+1). The height of the pyramid is x+12x\frac{x+1}{2 x}. Thus, the volume of the pyramid is 13×12x(x+1)×x+12x\frac{1}{3} \times \frac{1}{2} x(x+1) \times \frac{x+1}{2 x} which equals (x+1)212\frac{(x+1)^{2}}{12}. Since the cube has edge length 100, its volume is 1003100^{3} or 1000000. Now, 1%1 \% of 1000000 is 1100\frac{1}{100} of 1000000 or 10000. Thus, 0.01%0.01 \% of 1000000 is 1100\frac{1}{100} of 10000 or 100. This tells us that 0.04%0.04 \% of 1000000 is 400, and 0.08%0.08 \% of 1000000 is 800. We want to determine the number of integers xx for which (x+1)212\frac{(x+1)^{2}}{12} is between 400 and 800. This is equivalent to determining the number of integers xx for which (x+1)2(x+1)^{2} is between 12×400=480012 \times 400=4800 and 12×800=960012 \times 800=9600. Since 480069.28\sqrt{4800} \approx 69.28 and 960097.98\sqrt{9600} \approx 97.98, then the perfect squares between 4800 and 9600 are 702,712,722,,962,97270^{2}, 71^{2}, 72^{2}, \ldots, 96^{2}, 97^{2}. These are the possible values for (x+1)2(x+1)^{2} and so the possible values for xx are 69,70,71,,95,9669,70,71, \ldots, 95,96. There are 9669+1=2896-69+1=28 values for xx.

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Source: Omni-MATH, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.