USA

AMC 12/AHSME
1957

1 The number of distinct lines representing the altitudes, medians, and interior angle bisectors
of a triangle that is isosceles, but not equilateral, is:
(A) 9 (B) 7 (C) 6 (D) 5 (E) 3

2 In the equation 2x2 − hx + 2k = 0, the sum of the roots is 4 and the product of the roots is
−3. Then h and k have the values, respectively:
(A) 8 and −6 (B) 4 and −3 (C) −3 and 4 (D) −3 and 8 (E) 8 and −3
1
3 The simplest form of 1 − a
1+ 1−a is:
(A) a if a 6= 0 (B) 1 (C) a if a 6= − 1 (D) 1 − a with not restriction on a (E) a if a 6= 1

4 The first step in finding the product (3x + 2)(x − 5) by use of the distributive property in the
form a(b + c) = ab + ac is:
(A) 3x2 − 13x − 10 (B) 3x(x − 5) + 2(x − 5)
(C) (3x + 2)x + (3x + 2)(−5) (D) 3x2 − 17x − 10 (E) 3x2 + 2x − 15x − 10

5 Through the use of theorems on logarithms

a b c ay
log + log + log − log
b c d dx
can be reduced to:
2
(A) log xy (B) log xy (C) 1 (D) 0 (E) log da2 xy

6 An open box is constructed by starting with a rectangular sheet of metal 10 in. by 14 in.
and cutting a square of side x inches from each corner. The resulting projections are folded
up and the seams welded. The volume of the resulting box is:
(A) 140x − 48x2 + 4x3 (B) 140x + 48x2 + 4x3
(C) 140x + 24x2 + x3 (D) 140x − 24x2 + x3 (E) none of these

7 The area of a circle inscribed in an equilateral triangle is 48π. The perimeter of this triangle
is:
√ √
(A) 72 3 (B) 48 3 (C) 36 (D) 24 (E) 72

8 The numbers x, y, z are proportional to 2, 3, 5. The sum of x, y, and z is 100. The number
y is given by the equation y = ax − 10. Then a is:
3 5
(A) 2 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 2 (E) 4

9 The value of x − y x−y when x = 2 and y = − 2 is:

(A) − 18 (B) − 14 (C) 14 (D) 18 (E) 256

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AMC 12/AHSME
1957

10 The graph of y = 2x2 + 4x + 3 has its:

(A) lowest point at (−1, 9) (B) lowest point at (1, 1)
(C) lowest point at (−1, 1) (D) highest point at (−1, 9)
(E) highest point at (−1, 1)

11 The angle formed by the hands of a clock at 2 : 15 is:

◦ ◦ ◦
(A) 30◦ (B) 27 21 (C) 157 21 (D) 172 12 (E) none of these

12 Comparing the numbers 10−49 and 2 · 10−50 we may say:

(A) the first exceeds the second by 8 · 10−1
(B) the first exceeds the second by 2 · 10−1
(C) the first exceeds the second by 8 · 10−50
(D) the second is five times the first
(E) the first exceeds the second by 5
√ √
13 A rational number between 2 and 3 is:
√ √ √ √
2+ 3 2· 3
(A) 2 (B) 2 (C) 1.5 (D) 1.8 (E) 1.4
√ √
14 If y = x2 − 2x + 1 + x2 + 2x + 1, then y is:
(A) 2x (B) 2(x + 1) (C) 0 (D) |x − 1| + |x + 1| (E) none of these

15 The table below shows the distance s in feet a ball rolls down an inclined plane in t seconds.

t 0 1 2 3 4 5
s 0 10 40 90 160 250

The distance s for t = 2.5 is:

(A) 45 (B) 62.5 (C) 70 (D) 75 (E) 82.5

16 Goldfish are sold at 15 cents each. The rectangular coordinate graph showing the cost of 1
to 12 goldfish is:
(A) a straight line segment
(B) a set of horizontal parallel line segments
(C) a set of vertical parallel line segments
(D) a finite set of distinct points (E) a straight line

17 A cube is made by soldering twelve 3-inch lengths of wire properly at the vertices of the cube.
If a fly alights at one of the vertices and then walks along the edges, the greatest distance it
could travel before coming to any vertex a second time, without retracing any distance, is:
(A) 24 in. (B) 12 in. (C) 30 in. (D) 18 in. (E) 36 in.

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AMC 12/AHSME
1957

18 Circle O has diameters AB and CD perpendicular to each other. AM is any chord intersecting
CD at P . Then AP · AM is equal to:

C
M
P
O
A B

(A) AO · OB (B) AO · AB (C) CP · CD (D) CP · P D (E) CO · OP

19 The base of the decimal number system is ten, meaning, for example, that 123 = 1 · 102 +
2 · 10 + 3. In the binary system, which has base two, the first five positive integers are
1, 10, 11, 100, 101. The numeral 10011 in the binary system would then be written in the
decimal system as:
(A) 19 (B) 40 (C) 10011 (D) 11 (E) 7
20 A man makes a trip by automobile at an average speed of 50 mph. He returns over the same
route at an average speed of 45 mph. His average speed for the entire trip is:
7
(A) 47 19 (B) 47 14 (C) 47 21 (D) 47 11
19 (E) none of these

21 Start with the theorem ”If two angles of a triangle are equal, the triangle is isosceles,” and
the following four statements:
1. If two angles of a triangle are not equal, the triangle is not isosceles. 2. The base angles of
an isosceles triangle are equal. 3. If a triangle is not isosceles, then two of its angles are not
equal. 4. A necessary condition that two angles of a triangle be equal is that the triangle be
isosceles.
Which combination of statements contains only those which are logically equivalent to the
given theorem?
(A) 1, 2, 3, 4 (B) 1, 2, 3 (C) 2, 3, 4 (D) 1, 2 (E) 3, 4
√ √
22 If x − 1 − x + 1 + 1 = 0, then 4x equals:
√
(A) 5 (B) 4 −1 (C) 0 (D) 1 41 (E) no real value

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AMC 12/AHSME
1957

23 The graph of x2 + y = 10 and the graph of x + y = 10 meet in two points. The distance
between these two points is:
√
(A) less than 1 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 2 (E) more than 2

24 If the square of a number of two digits is decreased by the square of the number formed by
reversing the digits, then the result is not always divisible by:
(A) 9 (B) the product of the digits (C) the sum of the digits (D) the difference of the digits

25 The vertices of triangle P QR have coordinates as follows: P (0, a), Q(b, 0), R(c, d), where
a, b, c and d are positive. The origin and point R lie on opposite sides of P Q. The area of
triangle P QR may be found from the expression:
ab+ac+bc+cd ac+bd−ab ab−ac−bd ac+bd+ab ac+bd−ab−cd
(A) 2 (B) 2 (C) 2 (D) 2 (E) 2

26 From a point within a triangle, line segments are drawn to the vertices. A necessary and
sufficient condition that the three triangles thus formed have equal areas is that the point be:
(A) the center of the inscribed circle
(B) the center of the circumscribed circle
(C) such that the three angles fromed at the point each be 120◦
(D) the intersection of the altitudes of the triangle
(E) the intersection of the medians of the triangle

27 The sum of the reciprocals of the roots of the equation x2 + px + q = 0 is:

p q p q
(A) − q (B) p (C) q (D) − p (E) pq

28 If a and b are positive and a 6= 1, b 6= 1, then the value of blogb a is:

(A) dependent upon b (B) dependent upon a (C) dependent upon a and b (D) zero (E) one

29 The relation x2 (x2 − 1) ≥ 0 is true only for:

(A) x ≥ 1 (B) − 1 ≤ x ≤ 1 (C) x = 0, x = 1, x = − 1
(D) x = 0, x ≤ −1, x ≥ 1 (E) x ≥ 0
n(n+c)(2n+k)
30 The sum of the squares of the first n positive integers is given by the expression 6 ,
if c and k are, respectively:
(A) 1 and 2 (B) 3 and 5 (C) 2 and 2 (D) 1 and 1 (E) 2 and 1

31 A regular octagon is to be formed by cutting equal isosceles right triangles from the corners
of a square. If the square has sides of one unit, the leg of each of the triangles has length:
√ √ √ √ √
2+ 2 2− 2 1+ 2 1+ 2 2− 2
(A) 3 (B) 2 (C) 2 (D) 3 (E) 3

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AMC 12/AHSME
1957

32 The largest of the following integers which divides each of the numbers of the sequence
15 − 1, 25 − 2, 35 − 3, · · · , n5 − n, · · · is:
(A) 1 (B) 60 (C) 15 (D) 120 (E) 30

33 If 9x+2 = 240 + 9x , then the value of x is:

(A) 0.1 (B) 0.2 (C) 0.3 (D) 0.4 (E) 0.5

34 The points that satisfy the system x + y = 1, x2 + y 2 < 25, constitute the following set:
(A) only two points
(B) an arc of a circle
(C) a straight line segment not including the end-points
(D) a straight line segment including the end-points
(E) a single point

35 Side AC of right triangle ABC is divide into 8 equal parts. Seven line segments parallel to
BC are drawn to AB from the points of division. If BC = 10, then the sum of the lengths of
the seven line segments:
(A) cannot be found from the given information (B) is 33 (C) is 34 (D) is 35 (E) is 45

36 If x + y = 1, then the largest value of xy is:

(A) 1 (B) 0.5 (C) an irrational number about 0.4 (D) 0.25 (E) 0

37 In right triangle ABC, BC = 5, AC = 12, and AM = x; M N ⊥ AC, N P ⊥ BC; N is on

AB. If y = M N + N P , one-half the perimeter of rectangle M CP N , then:

N
P

A M C

(A) y = 12 (5+12) (B) y = 5x 12

12 + 5 (C) y = 144−7x
12 (D) y = 12 (E) y =
5x
12 + 6

38 From a two-digit number N we subtract the number with the digits reversed and find that
the result is a positive perfect cube. Then:

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 USA
AMC 12/AHSME
1957

(A) N cannot end in 5

(B) N can end in any digit other than 5
(C) N does not exist
(D) there are exactly 7 values for N
(E) there are exactly 10 values for N

39 Two men set out at the same time to walk towards each other from M and N , 72 miles apart.
The first man walks at the rate of 4 mph. The second man walks 2 miles the first hour, 2 12
miles the second hour, 3 miles the third hour, and so on in arithmetic progression. Then the
men will meet:
(A) in 7 hours (B) in 8 41 hours (C) nearer M than N
(D) nearer N than M (E) midway between M and N

40 If the parabola y = − x2 + bx − 8 has its vertex on the x-axis, then b must be:
(A) a positive integer
(B) a positive or a negative rational number
(C) a positive rational number
(D) a positive or a negative irrational number
(E) a negative irrational number

41 Given the system of equations

ax + (a − 1)y = 1(a + 1)x − ay = 1.

For which one of the following values of a is there no solution x and y?

√ √
(A) 1 (B) 0 (C) − 1 (D) ±2 2 (E) ± 2
√
42 If S = in + i−n , where i = −1 and n is an integer, then the total number of possible distinct
values for S is:
(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4 (E) more than 4

43 We define a lattice point as a point whose coordinates are integers, zero admitted. Then the
number of lattice points on the boundary and inside the region bounded by the x-axis, the
line x = 4, and the parabola y = x2 is:
(A) 24 (B) 35 (C) 34 (D) 30 (E) not finite

44 In triangle ABC, AC = CD and ∠CAB − ∠ABC = 30◦ . Then ∠BAD is:

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AMC 12/AHSME
1957

A B

◦
(A) 30◦ (B) 20◦ (C) 22 12 (D) 10◦ (E) 15◦
x
45 If two real numbers x and y satisfy the equation y = x − y, then: (A) x ≥ 4 and x ≤ 0
(B) y can equal 1
(C) both x and y must be irrational
(D) x and y cannot both be integers
(E) both x and y must be rational

46 Two perpendicular chords intersect in a circle. The segments of one chord are 3 and 4; the
segments of the other are 6 and 2. Then the diameter of the circle is:
√ √ √ √ √
(A) 89 (B) 56 (C) 61 (D) 75 (E) 65

47 In circle O, the midpoint of radius OX is Q; at Q, AB ⊥ XY . The semi-circle with AB

as diameter intersects XY in M . Line AM intersects circle O in C, and line BM intersects
circle O in D. Line AD is drawn. Then, if the radius of circle O is r, AD is:

M
X Y
Q O

√ √
r 3
√
(A) r 2 (B) r (C) not a side of an inscribed regular polygon (D) 2 (E) r 3

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 USA
AMC 12/AHSME
1957

48 Let ABC be an equilateral triangle inscribed in circle O. M is a point on arc BC. Lines
AM , BM , and CM are drawn. Then AM is:

C M

B
O

(A) equal to BM + CM (B) less than BM + CM (C) greater than BM + CM

(D) equal, less than, or greater than BM + CM , depending upon the position of M (E) none of these

49 The parallel sides of a trapezoid are 3 and 9. The non-parallel sides are 4 and 6. A line
parallel to the bases divides the trapezoid into two trapezoids of equal perimeters. The ratio
in which each of the non-parallel sides is divided is:

6 4

(A) 4 : 3 (B) 3 : 2 (C) 4 : 1 (D) 3 : 1 (E) 6 : 1

50 In circle O, G is a moving point on diameter AB. AA0 is drawn perpendicular to AB and

equal to AG. BB 0 is drawn perpendicular to AB, on the same side of diameter AB as AA0 ,
and equal to BG. Let O0 be the midpoint of A0 B 0 . Then, as G moves from A to B, point O0 :
(A) moves on a straight line parallel to AB
(B) remains stationary
(C) moves on a straight line perpendicular to AB

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AMC 12/AHSME
1957

(D) moves in a small circle intersecting the given circle

(E) follows a path which is neither a circle nor a straight line

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