2021 AMC 10B Fall Problem 3

Attempt Problem 3 of the 2021 AMC 10B Fall below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2021 AMC 10B Fall solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

3.

The expression 20212020−20202021\dfrac{2021}{2020} - \dfrac{2020}{2021} is equal to the fraction pq\frac{p}{q} in which pp and qq are positive integers whose greatest common divisor is 1.1. What is p?p?
1 1
9 9
2020 2020
2021 2021
4041 4041
Answer: E
Concepts:fractiondifference of squares
Small hint:
Use a common denominator
Big hint:
The numerator is 20212−202022021^2-2020^2
Solution:
We can rewrite this as 2021⋅20212020⋅2021−2020⋅20202020⋅2021\dfrac{2021\cdot 2021}{2020\cdot 2021} -\dfrac{2020\cdot 2020}{2020\cdot 2021} =20212−202022020⋅2021.= \dfrac{2021^2-2020^2}{2020\cdot 2021}.
This can be simplified to (2021−2020)(2021+2020)2020⋅2021\dfrac{(2021-2020)(2021+2020)}{2020\cdot 2021} =40412020⋅2021.=\dfrac{4041}{2020\cdot 2021}.
Since 40414041 is coprime with both 20202020 and 2021,2021, we know 40414041 is the numerator.
Thus, the answer is E .
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