2025 AMC 12B Problem 24
Attempt Problem 24 of the 2025 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 2025 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.
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24.
How many real numbers satisfy the equation
Answer: D
Solution:
Since every solution lies in For the logarithm is negative, so only the negative sine lobes in can contribute. Each has one crossing on each side of its minimum; on the last lobe, the second crossing is the endpoint Hence this part contributes solutions.
For only positive lobes contribute. There are of them: one in each interval from to for Every one after the first has one crossing on each side of its maximum. The first has only one new crossing because its left endpoint is the already-counted solution Thus contributes more solutions.
For completeness, the claimed uniqueness on each half-lobe follows by differentiating the difference of the two sides. On a falling positive half-lobe it is strictly decreasing. On a rising positive half-lobe its derivative increases and then decreases once, so the difference crosses from negative to positive only once. Applying the same argument to handles a negative lobe. The total is
Thus, the correct answer is D.
Problem 24 in Other Years
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