The diagram shows a triangular prism - Edexcel - GCSE Maths - Question 1 - 2019 - Paper 3
Question 1
The diagram shows a triangular prism.
The base, ABCD, of the prism is a square of side length 15 cm.
Angle ABC and angle CBE are right angles.
Angle EAB = 35°
M i... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The diagram shows a triangular prism - Edexcel - GCSE Maths - Question 1 - 2019 - Paper 3
Step 1
Calculate the length of DM and MA
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Answer
Since DM:MA = 2:3, we can denote the lengths as follows:
Let the total length of DA be divided into 5 equal parts: 2 parts for DM and 3 parts for MA.
The length of DA is 15 cm. Thus, each part is 515 cm=3 cm.
Therefore, DM = 2 parts = 2 * 3 cm = 6 cm, and MA = 3 parts = 3 * 3 cm = 9 cm.
Step 2
Determine coordinates of points
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Answer
Assuming A is at (0, 0, 0), B at (15, 0, 0), C at (15, 15, 0), and D at (0, 15, 0):
Point M is located on DA, specifically at (0, 6, 0) since DM = 6 cm.
Point E, considering the angle EAB of 35°, can be derived.
Using trigonometry, coordinates of E can be calculated based on height (h): x=15+15∗cos(35°) y=15∗sin(35°).
Step 3
Calculate the angle between EM and the base
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Answer
To find the angle EM makes with the base (the plane formed by ABCD), we use the tangent function to establish:
Let the height of E above the base, which is the vertical distance (h), be calculated: h=15∗sin(35°).
From the coordinates of M and E, calculate the slope of line EM. The angle θ can be found from:
Using the inverse tangent function:
tan(θ)=horizontal distance between M and Eh=tan(θ)=15+15∗cos(35°)−0h.
Finding θ gives the required angle with respect to the base.