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Looking for a challenging geometry text? Preparing for MATHCOUNTS or the AMC exams? Check out Art of Problem Solving's Introduction to Geometry by Richard Rusczyk.

2005 AMC 10A Problems/Problem 20

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Problem

An equiangular octagon has four sides of length 1 and four sides of length \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}, arranged so that no two consecutive sides have the same length. What is the area of the octagon?

\mathrm{(A) \ } \frac72\qquad \mathrm{(B) \ }  \frac{7\sqrt2}{2}\qquad \mathrm{(C) \ }  \frac{5+4\sqrt2}{2}\qquad \mathrm{(D)...

Solution

The area of the octagon can be divided up into 5 squares with side \frac{\sqrt2}2 and 4 right triangles, which are half the area of each of the squares.

Therefore, the area of the octagon is equal to the area of 5+4\left(\frac12\right)=7 squares.

The area of each square is \left(\frac{\sqrt2}2\right)^2=\frac12, so the area of 7 squares is \frac72\Rightarrow\mathrm{(A)}.

pair A=(0.7, 0), B=(0, 0.7), C=(0, 1.4), D=(0.7, 2.1), E=(1.4, 2.1), F=(2.1, 1.4), G=(2.1, 0.7), H=(1.4, 0); draw(A--B); draw...

See Also

Looking for a challenging geometry text? Preparing for MATHCOUNTS or the AMC exams? Check out Art of Problem Solving's Introduction to Geometry by Richard Rusczyk.
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