Question

Sara makes a staircase out of toothpicks as shown:

This is a $3$ -step staircase and uses $18$ toothpicks. How many steps would be in a staircase that used $180$ toothpicks?

$10$

$11$

$12$

$24$

$30$

Answer: C

Concepts:quadratic summation pattern recognition

Difficulty rating: 1200

Solution:

In an $n$ -step staircase the vertical toothpicks number $(1 + 2 + \cdots + n) + n$ $= \tfrac{n(n+1)}{2} + n,$ and there are just as many horizontal ones. That's a total of $n(n+1) + 2n = n(n+3).$ Check: $n = 3$ gives $18,$ as it should. Now solve $n(n+3) = 180.$ This factors as $(n-12)(n+15) = 0,$ so $n = 12.$ Therefore, the answer is C.

2018 AMC 10B Problem 8

Answer: C

Difficulty rating: 1200

Solution:

Problem 8 in Other Years