1953 AMC 12 Problem 13

Attempt Problem 13 of the 1953 AMC 12 below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1953 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

13.

A triangle and a trapezoid are equal in area. They also have the same altitude. If the base of the triangle is 1818 inches, the median of the trapezoid is:
3636 inches
99 inches
1818 inches
not obtainable from these data
none of these
Answer: B
Concepts:triangle areatrapezoid areamedian
Small hint:
The area of a trapezoid is its median times its altitude
Big hint:
Compare mhmh with 12(18)h\tfrac12(18)h
Solution:
If the common altitude is h,h, the triangle has area 12(18)h=9h. \frac12(18)h=9h. A trapezoid’s area is its median times its altitude, so its median must be 99 inches.
Thus, the correct answer is B.
LIVE by Po-Shen Loh
Programs

LIVE Classes

Self-Paced Classes

Stars

Scholarship

About Us

Who Is Po-Shen Loh?

Email Contact

Newsletter

Jobs

Become a Star

For a more Thought Full world.

© 2026 Expii, Inc.