Olympiad Maths Prep

Track / Stage 3 / 147 of 260 #147 of 2000

Problem 147

AMC 10/12, early questions
Geometry Difficulty 3.5 Find the answer

In ABC\triangle ABC, the sides opposite to angles AA, BB, CC are aa, bb, cc respectively. Given that cos2C3cosC=1\cos 2C - 3\cos C = 1, c=7c = \sqrt{7}, and SABC=332S_{\triangle ABC} = \frac{3\sqrt{3}}{2}.

(I) Find the measure of angle CC.
(II) Find the value of 7(sinA+sinB)\sqrt{7}(\sin A + \sin B).

Official solution

(I) From cos2C3cosC=1\cos 2C - 3\cos C = 1, we get 2cos2C13cosC=12\cos^2 C - 1 - 3\cos C = 1, which simplifies to 2cos2C3cosC2=02\cos^2 C - 3\cos C - 2 = 0. This factors to (2cosC+1)(cosC2)=0(2\cos C + 1)(\cos C - 2) = 0.

However, since cosC1\cos C \leq 1, it follows that cosC2<0\cos C - 2 < 0, and thus cosC=12\cos C = -\frac{1}{2}.

Since CC is an internal angle of a triangle, 0<C<π0 < C < \pi. Therefore, C=2π3C = \frac{2\pi}{3}.

(II) From SABC=12absinC=332S_{\triangle ABC} = \frac{1}{2}ab\sin C = \frac{3\sqrt{3}}{2} and C=2π3C = \frac{2\pi}{3}, we get ab=6ab = 6.

Using the cosine rule, we have c2=a2+b22abcosC=(a+b)22ab(1+cosC)c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2ab\cos C = (a + b)^2 - 2ab(1 + \cos C). Substituting the given values, we get 7=(a+b)212(112)7 = (a + b)^2 - 12(1 - \frac{1}{2}), which simplifies to a+b=13a + b = \sqrt{13}.

According to the sine rule, asinA=bsinB=csinC\frac{a}{\sin A} = \frac{b}{\sin B} = \frac{c}{\sin C}. Therefore, sinA+sinB=asinCc+bsinCc=(a+b)sinCc=13×327=3927\sin A + \sin B = \frac{a\sin C}{c} + \frac{b\sin C}{c} = \frac{(a + b)\sin C}{c} = \frac{\sqrt{13} \times \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}}{\sqrt{7}} = \frac{\sqrt{39}}{2\sqrt{7}}.

Hence, 7(sinA+sinB)=392\boxed{\sqrt{7}(\sin A + \sin B) = \frac{\sqrt{39}}{2}}.

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic, difficulty and ordering added by this site.