2021 AMC 10B Fall Exam Problems
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All of the real AMC 8 and AMC 10 problems in our complete solution collection are used with official permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
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1.
What is the value of
Answer: E
Solution:
We can add each individual digit, yielding
We can also get the sum by noticing that each digit has a sum of so the sum is equal to
Thus, the answer is E.
2.
What is the area of the shaded figure shown below?
Answer: B
Solution:
The area is a triangle of area since we subtract the area of a smaller triangle from a larger triangle.
Thus, the answer is B.
3.
The expression is equal to the fraction in which and are positive integers whose greatest common divisor is What is
Answer: E
Solution:
We can rewrite this as
This can be simplified to
Since is coprime with both and we know is the numerator.
Thus, the answer is E.
4.
At noon on a certain day, Minneapolis is degrees warmer than St. Louis. At the temperature in Minneapolis has fallen by degrees while the temperature in St. Louis has risen by degrees, at which time the temperatures in the two cities differ by degrees. What is the product of all possible values of
Answer: C
Solution:
Let the temperature in Minneapolis be and let the temperature in St. Louis be Then, we know that This means so thus making the difference or Therefore, the product is
Thus, the answer is C.
5.
Let Which of the following is equal to
Answer: E
Solution:
We know Therefore,
Thus, the answer is E.
6.
The least positive integer with exactly distinct positive divisors can be written in the form where and are integers and is not a divisor of What is
Answer: B
Solution:
Before starting, note that if we can represent the prime factorization of an integer as then there are distinct positive factors.
If the number in question has factors, by the previous logic, and as the prime factorization of then our number must be or
The smallest number we can make in either of these is making in the first configuration, yielding
Therefore, so
Thus, the answer is B.
7.
Call a fraction not necessarily in the simplest form, ''special'' if and are positive integers whose sum is How many distinct integers can be written as the sum of two, not necessarily different, special fractions?
Answer: C
Solution:
Let the denominators of both fractions be Therefore, their sums are Thus, we need to find the number of unique integers we can get from
If we have then our fraction is an integer, which would be Adding each set of pairs yields
If we have then our fractional part is a half, which would be Adding each set of pairs yields
If we have then our fractional part is a quarter or three quarters, which would be Adding each set of pairs yields
The unique integers from this are of which there are
Thus, the answer is C.
8.
The greatest prime number that is a divisor of is because What is the sum of the digits of the greatest prime number that is a divisor of
Answer: C
Solution:
We know Since we get Therefore, is the largest prime factor, and the sum of its digits is
Thus, the answer is C.
9.
The knights in a certain kingdom come in two colors. of them are red, and the rest are blue. Furthermore, of the knights are magical, and the fraction of red knights who are magical is times the fraction of blue knights who are magical. What fraction of red knights are magical?
Answer: C
Solution:
Let be the number of red and blue knights, and let be the number of magical knights of each color. We know
We also know Note that
Therefore, so
As such, so This makes the fraction that are magical equal to
Thus, the answer is C.
10.
Forty slips of paper numbered to are placed in a hat. Alice and Bob each draw one number from the hat without replacement, keeping their numbers hidden from each other. Alice says, "I can't tell who has the larger number." Then Bob says, "I know who has the larger number." Alice says, "You do? Is your number prime?" Bob replies, "Yes." Alice says, "In that case, if I multiply your number by and add my number, the result is a perfect square. " What is the sum of the two numbers drawn from the hat?
Answer: A
Solution:
Alice saying that she doesn't know the number means that she doesn't have the largest or smallest possible numbers, which are Bob, now knows who has the largest number. Thus, he may have or He may also have or as he would know Alice doesn't have This means would mean he has the lesser number, and means he has the greater number. Since his number is prime, his number must be
Since his number is we know plus Alice's number is a sqaure. Since Alice's number is between and we must find a square somewhere from to which must be This makes Alice's number Therefore the sum is
Thus, the answer is A.
11.
A regular hexagon of side length is inscribed in a circle. Each minor arc of the circle determined by a side of the hexagon is reflected over that side. What is the area of the region bounded by these reflected arcs?
Answer: B
Solution:
The average of the area of the circle and the new figure is equal to the area of the hexagon. The hexagon's area can be taken as the area of equilateral triangles with length making them each have area Thus, the total area of the hexagon is The radius of the circle is since thats the length of the equilateral triangle, so the area of the circle is
Let the area of the shape be Then, by the first statement, we know so making
Thus, the answer is B.
12.
Which of the following conditions is sufficient to guarantee that integers and satisfy the equation
x > y and
and
and
and
Answer: D
Solution:
Notice
Thus, Since every term is a positive integer, we know that two of them are and the other is or two of them are and the other is
Since they must be squares, it has to be the first condition. If we have a term with then If we have then,
Thus, two of must be equal and the other number must be away from the equal numbers. This is guaranteed with the condition and
Thus, the answer is D.
13.
A square with side length is inscribed in an isosceles triangle with one side of the square along the base of the triangle. A square with side length has two vertices on the other square and the other two on sides of the triangle, as shown. What is the area of the triangle?
Answer: B
Solution:
Firstly, note the area is equal to
Now, if we take the smaller triangle and scale it up to the bigger triangle, we multiply by The base of the smaller triangle is so the base of the larger triangle is This makes the area equal to
Now, the heights of the squares go down in a scaling factor of This means if we continually put smaller and smaller squares at the top, their lengths would be multiplied by so the total height is
Therefore, the area is
Thus, the answer is B.
14.
Una rolls standard -sided dice simultaneously and calculates the product of the numbers obtained. What is the probability that the product is divisible by
Answer: C
Solution:
We will first count the number of ways to have the product be not divisible be This can be done if the product is odd, where all numbers are odd, or the product is even but not a multiple of in which die are odd and the other die is or
In the first case, we can do this with a probability of
In the second case, there is a probability that a chosen dice is or a probability of the other die being even, and we have ways to choose the choosen dice. This makes the probability
Therefore, the total probability that the product isn't divisible by is making the probability that it is divisible equal to
Thus, the answer is C.
15.
In square points and lie on and respectively. Segments and intersect at right angles at with and What is the area of the square?
Answer: D
Solution:
We know
Since and we know
Therefore, As such,
Also, since we know Let Then, so Thus, We know since its the greater number. Then, Therefore, the area is
Thus, the answer is D.
16.
Five balls are arranged around a circle. Chris chooses two adjacent balls at random and interchanges them. Then Silva does the same, with her choice of adjacent balls to interchange being independent of Chris's. What is the expected number of balls that occupy their original positions after these two successive transpositions?
Answer: D
Solution:
Let Chris choose his two balls.
There is a probability that Silva choose the same balls, which would make all the balls the same as the original, making it such that balls are the same.
There is a probability that Silva choose one of the same balls, which would make the balls the same as the original.
There is a probability that Silva choose none of the same balls as Chris, so balls are in different positions. This makes ball the same.
Therefore, the expected value is
Thus, the answer is D.
17.
Distinct lines and lie in the -plane. They intersect at the origin. Point is reflected about line to point and then is reflected about line to point The equation of line is and the coordinates of are What is the equation of line
Answer: D
Solution:
Let the line from the origin to the point be Let the line from the origin to the point be Let be the angle from each of the lines to the origin. If line is reflected across line then the mean of the angles of and its reflection is equal to the angle of If is the reflection, we get which means
Bringing this to our current problem, the angle after the first reflection is Then, the angle after the second reflection is Notice that is rotated clockwise, so it lowers the angle by This means
Therefore, This further implies
Since the slope of is we get The tangent subtraction formula yields
Therefore, our line is or
Thus, the answer is D.
18.
Three identical square sheets of paper each with side length are stacked on top of each other. The middle sheet is rotated clockwise about its center and the top sheet is rotated clockwise about its center, resulting in the -sided polygon shown in the figure below.
The area of this polygon can be expressed in the form where and are positive integers, and is not divisible by the square of any prime. What is
Answer: E
Solution:
This shape can be split into identical triangles, as shown in the diagram. These triangles have one angle of as it is an angle bisector of a right triangle.
Another angle is as it is of the full way around, so the angle is Thus, the last angle is
Now, we extend the shortest side to make a right triangle. This has angles The altitude is since its half of the length of the square. The base of the right triangle is as its also half of the square. Now, we find the portion of the base in the original triangle by subtracting the portion outside.
The portion outside the original triangle creates a triangle when using the altitude, so its base is Thus, the base of the original triangle is Therefore, each triangle has an area of Since there are such angles, the total area is
This makes respectively, so
Thus, the answer is E.
19.
Let be the positive integer a -digit number where each digit is a Let be the leading digit of the th root of What is
Answer: A
Solution:
We can take Notice that the first digit of a number doesn't change when divided by Thus, multiplying by a power of would preserve the same leading digit.
Next, we can approximate to be as this wouldn't be increase the leading digit. Now, we can case on each number functional value.
means we have to find the first digit of which has the same units digit as This has leading digit so
means we have to find the first digit of which has the same units digit as This has leading digit so
means we have to find the first digit of which has the same units digit as This has leading digit so
means we have to find the first digit of which has the same units digit as Note that so has leading digit Thus,
means we have to find the first digit of which has the same units digit as This has leading digit so
We now know
Thus, the answer is A.
20.
In a particular game, each of players rolls a standard -sided die. The winner is the player who rolls the highest number. If there is a tie for the highest roll, those involved in the tie will roll again and this process will continue until one player wins. Hugo is one of the players in this game. What is the probability that Hugo's first roll was a given that he won the game?
Answer: C
Solution:
The probability that Hugo rolled a given that he won is equal to the probability that Hugo rolled a and won divided by the probability that he won. The probability that he wins is so dividing by this is equal to multiplying by Thus, we need to just find 4 times the probability that Hugo rolled a and won.
Now, to find the probability that he won given that he rolled a we need to case on the number of people who tied with him.
Case 1: No one ties
This has a probability of as there are players who choose something from to
Case 2: One person ties
This has a probability of as there are players who choose something from to Now, the probability that Hugo wins here is given this event occured, so the total probability is
Case 3: Two people tie
This has a probability of as there are players who choose something from to Now, the probability that Hugo wins here is given this event occured, so the total probability is
Case 4: Three people tie
This has a probability of as there are players who choose something from to Now, the probability that Hugo wins here is given this event occured, so the total probability is
The combined probability is This now has to be multiplyied by yielding
Thus, the answer is C.
21.
Regular polygons with and sides are inscribed in the same circle. No two of the polygons share a vertex, and no three of their sides intersect at a common point. At how many points inside the circle do two of their sides intersect?
Answer: E
Solution:
Suppose we have two regular polygons with and sides such that On, the circle, there area arcs from one point of the polygon to the other. If a line goes from arc to another arc, then it intersects the polygon twice, as there are two lines. The polygon with sides goes across each of the arcs, so it crosses lines.
To get the intersections of the points in our given setup, we can take the sum of the intersections with each pair of polygons. In each of the pairs, we take times the lower number, and take the sum of this. This would be
Thus, the answer is E.
22.
For each integer let be the sum of all products where and are integers and What is the sum of the 10 least values of such that is divisible by
Answer: B
Solution:
The products that are added from to are those where and The sum of these are the sums of all positive integers less than times making it This makes
If then is a multiple of so
If then so
This means that the remainder of when divided by is increased by when and its remainder is the same otherwise.
as the only pair is
The it must increase by twice to be a multiple of so the first that works is Then, have being multiples of After the next occurence is after more changes, making work, and then with changes after that. Finally, the th number that works is
We can now find the sum to be (Note that I did 3 times some number as it was the average of the tuple of 3 numbers around it.)
Thus, the answer is B.
23.
Each of the sides and the diagonals of a regular pentagon are randomly and independently drawn as solid or dashed with equal probability. What is the probability that there will be a triangle whose vertices are among the vertices of the pentagon such that all of its sides have the same stroke type?
Answer: D
Solution:
We will do this with complementary counting, meaning we will find the probability that no triangle has three sides of the same stroke first.
Now we will case on the stroke configurations of the outside edges. I will use the notation or some shortened version of this to specify the stroke, with the numbers being how many of one stroke there is, and a dash means that it switches strokes afterwards. There must be an even number of numbers in the configurations, except for the case where there is just one number. Therefore, the configurations that are possible can be found by adding an even number of whole numbers that add to Therefore, these are the possible configurations: Notice how all the configurations require at least one adjacent pair of edges to be the same stroke type. If a pairing of adjacent sides exists like this, then the connection must be the opposite stroke as shown below
Case 1: The configuration
This can occur with probability of as there are two stroke types, each with a chance of happening. Due to the pairing of every adjacent side, we know the diagonals must all be the same stroke, which has a probability of Thus, the probability of this case is
Case 2: The configuration
This can occur with probability of as there are two strokes that can be the and positions for the edge, each with a chance of happening. After filling the required diagonals, we have the configuration as shown.
This has the long triangle with a base at the bottom having all of one stroke, so there are no possible configurations.
Case 3: The configuration
This can occur with probability of as there are two stroke types that can be the and positions for the edge, each with a chance of happening. After filling the required diagonals, we have the configuration as shown.
The other two diagonals have to be solid to have the longer triangles with the upper right and left edge have at least one distinct side. This makes the long triangle with the bottom side all solid, so there are no possible configurations.
Case 3: The configuration
This can occur with probability of as there are two strokes that can be the and positions for the adjacent pair, each with a chance of happening. After filling the required diagonals, we have the configuration as shown.
The other two diagonals have to be solid to have the longer triangles with the upper right and left edge have at least one distinct side. This makes the long triangle with the bottom side all solid, so there are no possible configurations. Then we fill the diagonals in the following way.
This has only one configuration, with probability so the total probability is
Thus, the total probability of no triangles with all the same stroke is
This makes the answer to the original question
Thus, the answer is D.
24.
A cube is constructed from white unit cubes and blue unit cubes. How many different ways are there to construct the cube using these smaller cubes? (Two constructions are considered the same if one can be rotated to match the other.)
Answer: A
Solution:
Suppose somewhere that I have an L-shape of blues, with blue cubes in it. Then, there are locations to put the last blue cube, each of which can't rotate onto a different configuration. We can always rotate the L-shape to be in some configuration, so each cube with some L-shape is accounted for. Now, we can count the number of configurations without any L-shapes.
Now suppose we have two adjacent blues and no L-shapes. If we have a blue in any of the 4 positions adjacent to it, we have an L-shape, so we avoid this case. This leaves one configuration with just two adjacent blues and no L-shapes. The original pair can be rotated around, so ever configuration is accounted for.
Suppose we have no adjacent blues. If I have some blue cube, then the 3 cubes around it must be white. Furthermore, we can't have the opposite corner being blue as that would ensure that one of the other blue cubes touch the first one. This leaves just locations for the other blues, so there is just one way to place it. The original blue can be rotated around, so ever configuration is accounted for.
There are therefore configurations total.
Thus, the answer is A.
25.
A rectangle with side lengths and a square with side length and a rectangle are inscribed inside a larger square as shown. The sum of all possible values for the area of can be written in the form where and are relatively prime positive integers. What is
Answer: E
Solution:
First we can fill in the diagram as such due to the similar triangles. The left side has length and the bottom side has length Thus, making This also means the side length is Now, the top part is partitioned by the vertical line as shown in the picture. The entire section to the right of this line has a length of Let the part of the to the left of the the point in the rectangle be From there, make a horizontal line from the bottom point of the rectangle to the right side.
There now would be two right triangles with their hypoteneus being the the upper left and lower right lines in the rectangle. Since their sides are all parallel, they are similar. Since their hypoteneuses are the same, they are congruent. Therefore, we can assign them both the same side lengths. From here, we may use similar triangles to give a length of to the section below the line. We can fill the rest of the lengths out from there as shown below.
With similar triangles, we get This means so This factors to so or If then one of the side lengths is The other right triangle has sidelengths so it has a side length of This makes the area If then one of the side lengths is The other right triangle has sidelengths so it has a side length of This makes the area The sum of the different areas is
Using the Pythagorean Theorem, we get so Thus, Therefore, the sum is
As such, the answer is is
Thus, the answer is E.