1975 AMC 12 Problem 11

Attempt Problem 11 of the 1975 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 1975 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.

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

11.

Let PP be an interior point of circle KK other than the center of K.K. Form all chords of KK which pass through P,P, and determine their midpoints. The locus of these midpoints is
a circle with one point deleted
a circle if the distance from PP to the center of KK is less than one half the radius of K;K; otherwise a circular arc of less than 360∘360^\circ
a semicircle with one point deleted
a semicircle
a circle
Answer: E
Concepts:circlechordmidpoint
Small hint:
Join a chord midpoint MM to the circle’s center OO
Big hint:
Since OMOM is perpendicular to the chord through P,P, ∠OMP=90∘\angle OMP=90^\circ
Solution:
If MM is a chord midpoint and OO is the center, then OMOM is perpendicular to the chord, so ∠OMP=90∘\angle OMP=90^\circ unless M=O.M=O. Thus MM lies on the circle with diameter OP.OP. Conversely, each nonendpoint MM on that circle gives PM⊥OM,PM\perp OM, so the line PMPM cuts a chord of KK whose midpoint is M.M. The endpoint M=PM=P gives the chord through PP perpendicular to OP,OP, while M=OM=O gives the diameter through OO and P.P.
Therefore, the correct answer is E.
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