Solutions Pamphlet

American Mathematics Competitions

27th Annual

AMC 8
American Mathematics Contest 8

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

This Solutions Pamphlet gives at least one solution for each problem on this years
exam and shows that all the problems can be solved using material normally
associated with the mathematics curriculum for students in eighth grade or below.
These solutions are by no means the only ones possible, nor are they necessarily
superior to others the reader may devise.
We hope that teachers will share these solutions with their students. However,
the publication, reproduction, or communication of the problems or solutions of
the AMC 8 during the period when students are eligible to participate seriously
jeopardizes the integrity of the results. Dissemination at any time via copier,
telephone, email, internet or media of any type is a violation of the competition rules.
Correspondence about the problems and solutions should be addressed to:
Dr. Margie Raub Hunt, AMC 8 Chair
2169 Madero Dr., The Villages, FL 32159
Orders for prior year exam questions and solutions pamphlets should be addressed to:

American Mathematics Competitions

Attn: Publications
P.O. Box 81606
Lincoln, NE 68501-1606
2011 Mathematical Association of America

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27th AMC 8 2011 Solutions

1. Answer (E): The cost of the apples was 3 $0.50 = $1.50. Her change was
$5.00 $1.50 = $3.50.
2. Answer (E): Karls garden is 20 45 = 900 square feet. Makennas garden
is 25 40 = 1000 square feet. Makennas garden is larger by 1000 900 = 100
square feet.

3. Answer (D): There are 32 black tiles and 17 white tiles in the extended
pattern. So the ratio is 32 : 17.

5
4. Answer (C): The ordered list is 0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3. The mean is 15
9 = 3,
5
the median is 2, and the mode is 3. Because 3 < 2 < 3, the correct order is
mean < median < mode.

5. Answer (D): Convert 2011 minutes to 33 hours and 31 minutes. January

1 uses 24 hours. January 2 gets the remainder of the 9 hours and 31 minutes.
The time at the end of 2011 minutes was 9:31am on January 2.

6. Answer (D): In a population of 351 people, 45 people own a motorcycle.

Therefore there are 351 45 = 306 car owners who do not own a motorcycle.
7. Answer (C): The upper left and the lower right squares are each one-fourth
shaded, for a total of one-half square. The shaded portions of the upper right
and lower left squares make up one-half square. So the total shaded area is one
full square, which is 25% of the total area.

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27th AMC 8 2011 Solutions

8. Answer (B):

Make a table of possibilities.

+
2
4
6

1
3
5
7

3
5
7
9

5
7
9
11

The possible sums are 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, for a total of 5 possibilities.

9. Answer (E):
35
7 = 5 mph.

Carmen covers 35 miles in 7 hours, making her average speed

10. Answer (C): Including a $2 tip, a 0.5 mile ride would cost $4.40. The
remaining $5.60 would take you an additional 0.1 5.60
0.2 = 2.80 miles, so the
total distance is 0.5 + 2.8 = 3.3 miles.

11. Answer (A): Ashas study time totals 60+90+100+80+70 = 400 minutes, for
an average of 400
5 = 80 minutes per day. Sashas total is 70+80+120+110+50 =
430 minutes, for an average of 430
5 = 86 minutes per day, so Sasha averages 6
minutes more per day than Asha.
OR
The daily differences between Sasha and Asha are +10, 10, +20, +30, and 20
minutes for a total of +30 minutes. The average difference is 30
5 = 6 minutes
per day.

12. Answer (B): Proceeding clockwise from Angie, the seating could be: BCD,
BDC, CBD, CDB, DBC, or DCB. In 2 of these 6 possibilities Carlos is
opposite Angie, so the probability is 26 = 13 .
OR
If Angie sits down first, there are three equally likely places for Carlos to sit.
Only one of these is opposite Angie. Thus the probability is 13 .
13. Answer (C): The shaded rectangle P BCS has height BC = 15 and length
SC = DC + SR DR = 15 + 15 25 = 5.
Rectangle AQRD has the same height and length 25. The portion of rectangle
155
5
AQRD that is shaded is 1525
= 25
, which is 20%.

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27th AMC 8 2011 Solutions

14. Answer (C): The number of girls at the dance is 49 (270)+ 59 (180) = 120+100 =
22
220. So the fraction of the students that are girls is 220
450 = 45 .
15. Answer (D): The product 45 510 = 210 510 = 1010 is a number with a 1
followed by 10 zeros for a total of 11 digits.

16. Answer (C):

25

25

25

25

20

15
15

15

20

20

The altitude shown divides each triangle into two congruent right triangles. The
hypotenuse of each right triangle is 25.
In A the horizontal leg of each right
triangle is 15, so the vertical leg is 252 152 = 20. In B the horizontal
leg of each right triangle is 20, so the vertical leg is 15. The area of A is
1
1
2 (30)(20) = 300, and the area of B is 2 (40)(15) = 300, so the two areas are
equal.

17. Answer (A): Factor 588 into 22 31 50 72 . Thus w = 2, x = 1, y = 0, and

z = 2, and 2w + 3x + 5y + 7z = 21.

18. Answer (D): Make a table of 36 possible equally-likely outcomes. The first
number is greater than or equal to the second in the 21 cases indicated by the
7
asterisks, so the probability is 21
36 = 12 .
1
2
3
4
5
6

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1
1, 1
2, 1
3, 1
4, 1
5, 1
6, 1

2
1, 2
2, 2
3, 2
4, 2
5, 2
6, 2

3
1, 3
2, 3
3, 3
4, 3
5, 3
6, 3

4
1, 4
2, 4
3, 4
4, 4
5, 4
6, 4

5
1, 5
2, 5
3, 5
4, 5
5, 5
6, 5

6
1, 6
2, 6
3, 6
4, 6
5, 6
6, 6

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27th AMC 8 2011 Solutions

5
OR

In 6 of the 36 possible outcomes the two numbers are equal. The first number
is greater than the second in half of the remaining 30 outcomes, so the first
number is greater than or equal to the second in 6 + 15 = 21 outcomes. The
7
probability is 21
36 = 12 .
19. Answer (D): Partition the figure into non-overlapping regions as shown. The
list of rectangles are b, c, d, ab, bc, cd, cf , de, abcd, bcf g, and cdef .

f
b

a
d

20. Answer (D): Let E and F be the feet of the perpendiculars from A and B
to DC. In right AED, DE 2 = 152 122 = 225 144 = 81, so DE = 9. In
right BF C, F C 2 = 202 122 = 400 144 = 256, so F C = 16.
A

20

12

15

Right AED has area 12 9 12 = 54, right BF C has area 21 16 12 = 96,
and rectangle ABF E has area 50 12 = 600. The trapezoid ABCD has area
54 + 96 + 600 = 750.
OR

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Begin as in the first solution and note that DC = DE +EF +F C = 9+50+16 =

75. Then the area of trapezoid is 12 (AB + DC) AE = 12 (50 + 75) 12 = 125 6 =
750.

21. Answer (C): Because half are too low, Norb is at least 37. Because two are
off by one, he must be between 36 and 38 or between 47 and 49. Because 37 is
prime and 48 is not, Norb is 37.

22. Answer (D): The tens digit of a power of 7 is determined by the last two
digits of the previous power of 7. The pattern for the last two digits of successive
powers of 7 is 01, 07, 49, 43, 01, 07, 49, 43, 01, 07, 49, 43, 01,. . . . Since
2011 = 4 502 + 3, the last two digits of 72011 are 43 and the tens digit is 4.
23. Answer (D):
units digit.

Any integer that is a multiple of 5 must have a 0 or 5 as the

If the units digit is 0, then the other three digits must be a 5 and two digits
selected from 1, 2, 3, and 4. After the pair is selected, there are 6 possible ways
to arrange them to form the number. So there are 6 6 = 36 possible numbers
with units digit 0.
If the units digit is 5, then there are four choices (1, 2, 3, 4) for the thousands
digit and there are 4 3 = 12 ways to complete the number. So there are
4 12 = 48 possible numbers with units digit 5.

Together there are 36 + 48 = 84 possible numbers.

24. Answer (A): If the sum of two numbers is odd, one number must be even and
the other number must be odd. Because all primes except 2 are odd, 2 must be
one of the summands. Because 10,001 = 2 + 9999, and 9999 = 9 1111 is not
prime, there are no solutions.

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25. Answer (A): The area of a circle of radius 1 is (1)2 = . The side length of
the big square is the diameter of the circle, which is 2, so its area is 22 = 4. The
big square can be divided into 8 congruent triangles, and the shaded area is made
up of 4 of those triangles. The shaded area is half the area of the big square,
3.142
12 .
which is 2. The requested ratio of the two shaded areas is 2
2
2

The

American Mathematics Competitions

are Sponsored by

The Mathematical Association of America

The Akamai Foundation
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W. H. Freeman and Company

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