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smc

geometry senior

Problem

The parallel sides of a trapezoid are and . The non-parallel sides are and . A line parallel to the bases divides the trapezoid into two trapezoids of equal perimeters. The ratio in which each of the non-parallel sides is divided is:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
Solution
Let the points be labeled as in the new diagram above, with and (from the problem). Because and , and . Solving these equations for and , respectively yields and . Let . Thus, because , . Solving this equation for yields . Similarly, , and solving this equation for yields . Now, we can set the perimeters of and equal to each other to solve for : To find the ratio , we substitute into this expression to find our answer: Thus, our answer is .
Final answer
C