WWW.C E M C .U WAT E R LO O.

C A | T h e C E N T R E fo r E D U C AT I O N i n M AT H E M AT I C S a n d CO M P U T I N G

Problem of the Week

Problem E and Solutions
Never Enough Right Angles!
Problem
In the diagram, AB and BC are straight lines with
ABC = 90 . D lies on AB, F lies on BC and E is
the intersection of AF and DC.
Also, AD = 1, DB = 2, AE = 3, BF = 4 and EF = 2.
Determine the length of CF .

A
1
D

3
E

A
1
D

Solution
Draw a perpendicular from E to BF .
Let P be the point where the perpendicular intersects BF .
Let CF = a, P F = b and EP = h.
We will now proceed with two different solutions.
The first uses similar triangles to determine CF .
The second uses trigonometry.

2
B

E
h

2
P

Solution 1
Since EP is perpendicular to BC, we know EP F = 90 . Also, EF P = AF B (same
angle). Therefore, 4ABF 4EP F (By angle-angle triangle similarity).
AF
EF
5
2
8
AF
EF
5
2
6
From the similarity,
=
, so = or b = . Also,
=
, so = or h = .
BF
PF
4
b
5
AB
EP
3
h
5

Now lets calculate P C. We know EP C = DBC = 90 and ECP = DCB (same angle).
EP
DB
=
.
Therefore, 4DBC 4EP C (By angle-angle triangle similarity). This tells us
BC
PC
8
Since BC = BF + CF = 4 + a and P C = P F + CF = 5 + a, we have
EP
DB
=
BC
PC
6
2
= 8 5
4+a
+a
5
16
24 6
+ 2a =
+ a
5
5
5
6
24 16
2a a =

5
5
5
4
8
a=
5
5
a=2
Therefore, CF = 2.

WWW.C E M C .U WAT E R LO O.C A | T h e C E N T R E fo r E D U C AT I O N i n M AT H E M AT I C S a n d CO M P U T I N G

A
1
D

Solution 2
h
.
2
3
In 4ABF, sin AF B = .
5

In 4EP F, sin EF P =

2
B

Since AF B = EF P (same angle),

sin AF B = sin EF P
h
3
=
5
2
6
h=
5
Since 4EF P is a right-angled triangle,
EP 2 + P F 2
h2 + b2
 2
6
+ b2
5
b2

= EF 2
= 22
=4
=4

36
25

64
25
8
b=
since b > 0
5

b2 =

6
EP
h
=
= 5 8.
PC
a+b
a+ 5
DB
2
In 4BCD, tan DCB =
=
.
BC
4+a

In 4ECP, tan ECP =

Since ECP = DCB (same angle),

tan ECP = tan DCB
6
5
8
5

2
4+a

a+
24 6
16
+ a = 2a +
5
5
5
6
24 16
2a a =

5
5
5
4
8
a=
5
5
a=2
Therefore, CF = 2.

3
E
h

2
P