2005 AMC 12A Problem 19

Attempt Problem 19 of the 2005 AMC 12A 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 2005 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

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19.

A faulty car odometer proceeds from digit 33 to digit 5,5, always skipping the digit 4,4, regardless of position. For example, after traveling one mile the odometer changed from 000039000039 to 000050.000050. If the odometer now reads 002005,002005, how many miles has the car actually traveled?

14041404

14621462

16041604

16051605

18041804

Answer: B
Concepts:number base
Difficulty rating: 1950
Solution:

Because the odometer never displays a 4,4, it uses only 99 symbols and counts in base 9,9, where its digits 5,6,7,8,95, 6, 7, 8, 9 represent the base-99 digits 4,5,6,7,8.4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

The reading 002005002005 therefore corresponds to 20042004 in base 9,9, which equals 293+4=2729+4=1462. 2 \cdot 9^3 + 4 = 2 \cdot 729 + 4 = 1462.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

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