2004 AMC 12B Problem 1

Attempt Problem 1 of the 2004 AMC 12B 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 2004 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

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

1.

At each basketball practice last week, Jenny made twice as many free throws as she made at the previous practice. At her fifth practice she made 4848 free throws. How many free throws did she make at the first practice?
33
66
99
1212
1515
Answer: A
Concepts:geometric sequencework backwards
Small hint:
Each practice she made half as many as the next practice
Big hint:
Halve 4848 four times to reach the first practice
Solution:
Each practice she made twice the previous, so going backward we halve. From the fifth practice at 48,48, the earlier practices had 24,24, 12,12, 6,6, and 33 free throws.
Thus, the correct answer is A.
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