2002 AMC 10B Exam Solutions
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All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
1.
What is the value of the ratio
Difficulty rating: 770
Solution:
Since the ratio becomes
Thus, the correct answer is E.
2.
For the nonzero numbers and define What is
Difficulty rating: 720
Solution:
Substituting directly,
Thus, the correct answer is C.
3.
The arithmetic mean of the nine numbers in the set is a -digit number all of whose digits are distinct. Which digit does the number not contain?
Difficulty rating: 960
Solution:
The mean is
Adding these nine repunits column by column gives
The only digit missing from is
Thus, the correct answer is A.
4.
What is the value of when
Difficulty rating: 900
Solution:
Factoring from the first two terms,
At this equals
Thus, the correct answer is D.
5.
Circles of radius and are externally tangent and are circumscribed by a third circle, as shown in the figure. What is the area of the shaded region?
Difficulty rating: 1020
Solution:
The two small circles line up along a diameter of the big circle, so that diameter is and the large radius is
The shaded region is the large disk with the two small disks removed:
Thus, the correct answer is E.
6.
For how many positive integers is a prime number?
none
one
two
more than two, but finitely many
infinitely many
7.
Let be a positive integer such that is an integer. Which of the following statements is not true?
divides
divides
divides
divides
Difficulty rating: 1170
Solution:
The sum is greater than and less than so as an integer it must equal
Since we need so
Then and all divide but is not greater than So the false statement is
Thus, the correct answer is E.
8.
Suppose July of year has five Mondays. Which of the following must occur five times in August of year (Note: both months have days.)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Difficulty rating: 1240
Solution:
A -day month is weeks plus extra days, so exactly the weekdays of the st, nd, and rd of the month occur five times.
For July to have five Mondays, Monday must be one of July or In all three cases August lands on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, and the common weekday among the resulting five-time days is Thursday.
More directly, since July has days, August is the same weekday as July With Monday on July or the three five-time weekdays of August always include Thursday.
Thus, the correct answer is D.
9.
Using the letters and we can form five-letter “words.” If these “words” are arranged in alphabetical order, then the “word” occupies which position?
Difficulty rating: 1280
Solution:
The alphabetical order of the letters is Words beginning with or fill positions through (four choices of first letter, each).
Words beginning with occupy positions – Listing them alphabetically, is the th such word, so it occupies position
Thus, the correct answer is D.
10.
Suppose that and are nonzero real numbers, and that the equation has solutions and What is the pair
Difficulty rating: 1280
Solution:
Since the roots are and Vieta's formulas give and
From with we get Then gives so
Thus and the correct answer is C.
11.
The product of three consecutive positive integers is times their sum. What is the sum of their squares?
Difficulty rating: 1140
Solution:
Let the integers be Their product is and their sum is so
Since we get so and
The three integers are and
Thus, the correct answer is B.
12.
For which of the following values of does the equation have no solution for
Difficulty rating: 1370
Solution:
Cross multiplying gives which expands to
Cancelling leaves so This has no solution exactly when since then the coefficient of is while the right side is nonzero.
Thus, the correct answer is E.
13.
What value of makes true for all values of
or
or
or
Difficulty rating: 1220
Solution:
Grouping and factoring,
For this to equal for all the factor that depends on cannot be forced to zero, so we need giving
Thus, the correct answer is D.
14.
15.
The positive integers and are all prime numbers. The sum of these four primes is
even
divisible by
divisible by
divisible by
prime
Solution:
The numbers and differ by so they have the same parity. Being prime, they must both be odd, which forces and to have opposite parity.
Since is the only even prime, Then are three primes forming an arithmetic progression of odd numbers, which must be
The four primes are and their sum is which is prime.
Thus, the correct answer is E.
16.
For how many integers is the square of an integer?
Difficulty rating: 1580
Solution:
Suppose for some integer Solving,
Since and share no common factor, must divide This happens only for giving
The corresponding values are all integers, so there are such
Thus, the correct answer is D.
17.
A regular octagon has sides of length two. What is the area of
Difficulty rating: 1660
Solution:
Set the octagon on coordinate axes with the axis-aligned sides of length and each slanted side spanning horizontally and vertically. Then
Since and share the height segment is horizontal with length and the height from up to that level is
Therefore
Thus, the correct answer is C.
18.
Four distinct circles are drawn in a plane. What is the maximum number of points where at least two of the circles intersect?
Difficulty rating: 1280
Solution:
Any two distinct circles intersect in at most points. There are pairs of circles, giving at most intersection points.
This maximum is achievable by a configuration where every pair of circles crosses twice, so the answer is
Thus, the correct answer is D.
19.
Suppose that is an arithmetic sequence with What is the value of
Difficulty rating: 1460
Solution:
Let Then so the second block sum is the first plus
Therefore giving
Thus, the correct answer is C.
20.
Let and be real numbers such that and What is
Difficulty rating: 1790
Solution:
Rewrite the equations as and Squaring both and adding,
The left side expands to (the terms cancel), and the right side expands to (the terms cancel). So giving
Thus, the correct answer is B.
21.
Andy's lawn has twice as much area as Beth's lawn and three times as much area as Carlos' lawn. Carlos' lawn mower cuts half as fast as Beth's mower and one third as fast as Andy's mower. If they all start to mow their lawns at the same time, who will finish first?
Andy
Beth
Carlos
Andy and Carlos tie for first.
All three tie.
Difficulty rating: 1370
Solution:
Let Andy's lawn have area so Beth's is and Carlos' is Let Carlos mow at rate so Beth mows at and Andy at
The times are
Since is the smallest, Beth finishes first.
Thus, the correct answer is B.
22.
Let be a right-angled triangle with Let and be the midpoints of legs and respectively. Given that and what is
Difficulty rating: 1690
Solution:
Let and so and The right angle at gives
Adding these, so and
Since with ratio we have
Thus, the correct answer is B.
23.
Let be a sequence of integers such that and for all positive integers and What is
Difficulty rating: 1510
Solution:
Setting we get so
Summing from to
Therefore
Thus, the correct answer is D.
24.
Riders on a Ferris wheel travel in a circle in a vertical plane. A particular wheel has radius feet and revolves at the constant rate of one revolution per minute. How many seconds does it take a rider to travel from the bottom of the wheel to a point vertical feet above the bottom?
Difficulty rating: 1580
Solution:
Put the center at height The bottom is at height and the rider reaches height which is feet below the center.
The horizontal from the center down to the rider's level forms a right triangle where the vertical leg is and the hypotenuse (the radius) is That leg is half the hypotenuse, so the radius to the rider makes with the downward vertical.
The wheel turns in seconds, so turning takes seconds.
Thus, the correct answer is D.
25.
When is appended to a list of integers, the mean is increased by When is appended to the enlarged list, the mean of the enlarged list is decreased by How many integers were in the original list?
Difficulty rating: 1690
Solution:
Let the original list have integers with mean so its sum is Appending gives
Appending to that enlarged list gives
Solving and yields and
Thus, the correct answer is A.