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The diagram shows a figure made from six equal, touching squares arranged with a vertical line of symmetry. A straight line is drawn through the bottom corner $P$ in such a way that that the area of the figure is halved.

Where will the cut cross the edge $XY$?


If you liked this problem, here is an NRICH task that challenges you to use similar mathematical ideas.

This problem is taken from the UKMT Mathematical Challenges.
You can find more short problems, arranged by curriculum topic, in our short problems collection.