1970 AMC 12 Problem 30

Attempt Problem 30 of the 1970 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 1970 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.

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

30.

In the accompanying figure, segments ABAB and CDCD are parallel, the measure of angle DD is twice that of angle B,B, and the measures of segments ADAD and CDCD are aa and b,b, respectively. Then the measure of ABAB is equal to:
12a+2b\tfrac12a+2b
32b+34a\tfrac32b+\tfrac34a
2a−b2a-b
4b−12a4b-\tfrac12a
a+ba+b
Answer: E
Concepts:angle bisectorparallel linesisosceles triangleparallelogram
Small hint:
Bisect angle DD and let the bisector meet ABAB at PP
Big hint:
Angle chasing makes △APD\triangle APD isosceles, while PBCDPBCD is a parallelogram
Solution:
Let the bisector of ∠D\angle D meet ABAB at P.P. Because ∠D=2∠B,\angle D=2\angle B, each half has measure ∠B.\angle B. Since AB∥CD,AB\parallel CD, the alternate interior angle ∠APD\angle APD also equals ∠PDC.\angle PDC. Thus triangle APDAPD is isosceles and AP=AD=a. AP=AD=a. Also PB∥CDPB\parallel CD and BC∥PD,BC\parallel PD, so PBCDPBCD is a parallelogram. Hence PB=CD=b.PB=CD=b. Therefore AB=AP+PB=a+b. AB=AP+PB=a+b.
Therefore, the correct answer is E.
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