1987 AMC 8 Solutions

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

1.

What is 0.4+0.02+0.006?0.4 + 0.02 + 0.006?

0.0120.012

0.0660.066

0.120.12

0.240.24

0.4260.426

Concepts:decimalplace value
Difficulty rating: 450
Small Hint:

Line up the decimal points before adding

Big Hint:

Write the numbers as 0.400,0.400, 0.020,0.020, and 0.0060.006

Solution:

Adding place by place, 0.4+0.02+0.006=0.426.0.4 + 0.02 + 0.006 = 0.426.

Thus, the correct answer is E .

2.

What is 225\dfrac{2}{25} written as a decimal?

0.0080.008

0.080.08

0.80.8

1.251.25

12.512.5

Difficulty rating: 560
Small Hint:

Rewrite the fraction with a denominator of 100100

Big Hint:

Multiply the numerator and denominator by 44

Solution:

Multiplying top and bottom by 44 gives 225=8100=0.08.\dfrac{2}{25} = \dfrac{8}{100} = 0.08.

Thus, the correct answer is B .

3.

What is the value of

2(81+83+85+87+89+91+93+95+97+99)? \begin{gathered} 2(81 + 83 + 85 + 87 + 89 \\ {}+ 91 + 93 + 95 + 97 + 99)? \end{gathered}

16001600

16501650

17001700

17501750

18001800

Difficulty rating: 660
Small Hint:

The ten numbers 81,81, 83,83, ,\ldots, 9999 are evenly spaced

Big Hint:

Their average is 81+992=90,\dfrac{81 + 99}{2} = 90, so their sum is 10×9010 \times 90

Solution:

The ten evenly spaced numbers have average 90,90, so their sum is 10×90=900.10 \times 90 = 900.

Doubling gives 2×900=1800.2 \times 900 = 1800.

Thus, the correct answer is E .

4.

Martians measure angles in clerts. There are 500500 clerts in a full circle. How many clerts are there in a right angle?

9090

100100

125125

180180

250250

Difficulty rating: 560
Small Hint:

A right angle is 14\dfrac14 of a full circle

Big Hint:

Take 14\dfrac14 of 500500 clerts

Solution:

A right angle is a quarter of a full circle, so it contains 14×500=125\dfrac14 \times 500 = 125 clerts.

Thus, the correct answer is C .

5.

What is the area, in square meters, of the rectangular region shown?

0.088 m20.088 \text{ m}^2

0.62 m20.62 \text{ m}^2

0.88 m20.88 \text{ m}^2

1.24 m21.24 \text{ m}^2

4.22 m24.22 \text{ m}^2

Concepts:areadecimal
Difficulty rating: 660
Small Hint:

The area of a rectangle is its length times its width

Big Hint:

Multiply 0.40.4 by 0.220.22

Solution:

The area is 0.4×0.22=0.0880.4 \times 0.22 = 0.088 square meters.

Thus, the correct answer is A .

6.

The smallest product one could obtain by multiplying two numbers in the set {7,5,1,1,3}\{ -7, -5, -1, 1, 3 \} is

35-35

21-21

15-15

1-1

33

Concepts:optimization
Difficulty rating: 800
Small Hint:

The smallest product is the most negative one, which comes from one negative and one positive factor

Big Hint:

Pair the most negative number with the largest positive number

Solution:

A negative product comes from multiplying a negative number by a positive number, and it is most negative when both factors are largest in size.

The most negative product is (7)(3)=21.(-7)(3) = -21.

Thus, the correct answer is B .

7.

The large cube shown is made up of 2727 identical sized smaller cubes. For each face of the large cube, the opposite face is shaded the same way. The total number of smaller cubes that must have at least one face shaded is

1010

1616

2020

2222

2424

Difficulty rating: 1200
Small Hint:

A small cube shows a shaded face only when one of its surface squares is shaded, so count the cubes that stay completely blank, beginning with the single hidden cube at the center of the block

Big Hint:

Besides the hidden center cube, find the cubes whose every exposed square lands on a blank position, then subtract the number of blank cubes from 2727

Solution:

Count the cubes with no shaded face and subtract from 27.27. A small cube is unshaded exactly when every one of its exposed squares is blank.

The three patterns are: the top and bottom faces show only their center square shaded; one pair of opposite side faces shows the four corners and the center shaded; the remaining pair shows the four edge-midpoints shaded.

Exactly 77 small cubes avoid every shaded square: the one hidden cube at the very center of the block; the two cubes at the centers of the edge-midpoints faces, whose only exposed square is that blank center; and the four cubes at the midpoints of the edges where a corners-and-center face meets the top or bottom face, since there each exposed square is a blank edge cell.

Hence 277=2027 - 7 = 20 cubes have at least one shaded face.

Thus, the correct answer is C .

8.

In the addition problem below, AA and BB are nonzero digits:

9876A32+B1\begin{array}{r} 9876 \\ A32 \\ +B1 \\ \hline \end{array}

How many digits (not necessarily different) are in the sum of the three whole numbers?

44

55

66

99

depends on the values of AA and BB

Difficulty rating: 930
Small Hint:

The number 98769876 is already close to 10,000,10{,}000, so adding anything pushes the sum past it

Big Hint:

Check the largest possible sum too, using A=B=9A = B = 9

Solution:

Since AA and BB are at least 1,1, the sum is at least 9876+132+11=10,019,9876 + 132 + 11 = 10{,}019, which has 55 digits.

At the other extreme, with A=B=9A = B = 9 the sum is 9876+932+91=10,899,9876 + 932 + 91 = 10{,}899, still 55 digits. So the sum always has exactly 55 digits.

Thus, the correct answer is B .

9.

When finding the sum

12+13+14+15+16+17,\dfrac12 + \dfrac13 + \dfrac14 + \dfrac15 + \dfrac16 + \dfrac17,

what is the least common denominator used?

120120

210210

420420

840840

50405040

Difficulty rating: 800
Small Hint:

The least common denominator is the least common multiple of 2,2, 3,3, 4,4, 5,5, 6,6, 77

Big Hint:

Use 44 to cover the factor 44 (and 22), then include 3,3, 5,5, and 77

Solution:

The least common multiple must include 4=22,4 = 2^2, 3,3, 5,5, and 77 (the factor 6=2×36 = 2 \times 3 is already covered).

So it is 4×3×5×7=420.4 \times 3 \times 5 \times 7 = 420.

Thus, the correct answer is C .

10.

What is the value of

4(299)+3(299)+2(299)+298?4(299) + 3(299) + 2(299) + 298?

28892889

29892989

29912991

29992999

30093009

Difficulty rating: 800
Small Hint:

Combine the first three terms: 4(299)+3(299)+2(299)4(299) + 3(299) + 2(299) =9×299= 9 \times 299

Big Hint:

Compute 9×299,9 \times 299, then add 298298

Solution:

The first three terms combine to (4+3+2)(299)(4 + 3 + 2)(299) =9×299=2691.= 9 \times 299 = 2691.

Adding the last term gives 2691+298=2989.2691 + 298 = 2989.

Thus, the correct answer is B .

11.

The sum 217+312+51192\dfrac17 + 3\dfrac12 + 5\dfrac{1}{19} is between which two values?

1010 and 101210\dfrac12

101210\dfrac12 and 1111

1111 and 111211\dfrac12

111211\dfrac12 and 1212

1212 and 121212\dfrac12

Difficulty rating: 860
Small Hint:

Add the whole-number parts first: 2+3+5=102 + 3 + 5 = 10

Big Hint:

The fractional parts are 12+17+119;\dfrac12 + \dfrac17 + \dfrac{1}{19}; this is more than 12\dfrac12 but less than 11

Solution:

The whole-number parts sum to 10.10. The fractional parts are 12+17+119.\dfrac12 + \dfrac17 + \dfrac{1}{19}.

Since 17+119\dfrac17 + \dfrac{1}{19} is a small positive amount, the fractional total is more than 12\dfrac12 but well under 1.1. So the sum lies between 101210\dfrac12 and 11.11.

Thus, the correct answer is B .

12.

What fraction of the large 1212 by 1818 rectangular region is shaded?

1108\dfrac{1}{108}

118\dfrac{1}{18}

112\dfrac{1}{12}

29\dfrac{2}{9}

13\dfrac{1}{3}

Concepts:areafraction
Difficulty rating: 930
Small Hint:

The horizontal line splits the rectangle into a top half and a bottom half

Big Hint:

The shaded part is the rightmost third of the bottom-right quarter of the rectangle

Solution:

The whole region has area 12×18=216.12 \times 18 = 216. The shaded region is 33 wide and 66 tall, with area 3×6=18.3 \times 6 = 18.

So the shaded fraction is 18216=112.\dfrac{18}{216} = \dfrac{1}{12}. Equivalently, it is 13\dfrac13 of 14\dfrac14 of the whole.

Thus, the correct answer is C .

13.

Which of the following fractions has the largest value?

37\dfrac{3}{7}

49\dfrac{4}{9}

1735\dfrac{17}{35}

100201\dfrac{100}{201}

151301\dfrac{151}{301}

Concepts:fraction
Difficulty rating: 930
Small Hint:

Compare each fraction to 12\dfrac12

Big Hint:

A fraction is more than 12\dfrac12 exactly when its numerator is more than half its denominator

Solution:

For 37,\dfrac37, 49,\dfrac49, 1735,\dfrac{17}{35}, and 100201,\dfrac{100}{201}, each numerator is less than half its denominator, so each is less than 12.\dfrac12.

For 151301,\dfrac{151}{301}, the numerator 151151 is more than half of 301,301, so this fraction exceeds 12\dfrac12 and is the largest.

Thus, the correct answer is E .

14.

A computer can do 10,00010{,}000 additions per second. How many additions can it do in one hour?

66 million

3636 million

6060 million

216216 million

360360 million

Difficulty rating: 730
Small Hint:

There are 60×60=360060 \times 60 = 3600 seconds in an hour

Big Hint:

Multiply the rate 10,00010{,}000 by the number of seconds in an hour

Solution:

One hour has 36003600 seconds, so the computer does 10,000×3600=36,000,00010{,}000 \times 3600 = 36{,}000{,}000 additions.

That is 3636 million.

Thus, the correct answer is B .

15.

A sale ad read: “Buy three tires at the regular price and get the fourth tire for $3.\$3.” Sam paid $240\$240 for a set of four tires at the sale. What was the regular price of one tire?

$59.25\$59.25

$60\$60

$70\$70

$79\$79

$80\$80

Difficulty rating: 860
Small Hint:

The $240\$240 covers three tires at the regular price plus $3\$3 for the fourth

Big Hint:

Subtract the $3,\$3, then divide the rest among the three full-price tires

Solution:

The three regular-price tires cost $240$3=$237.\$240 - \$3 = \$237.

So one tire costs $2373=$79.\dfrac{\$237}{3} = \$79.

Thus, the correct answer is D .

16.

Joyce made 1212 of her first 3030 shots in the first three games of the basketball season, so her seasonal shooting average was 40%.40\%. In her next game, she took 1010 shots and raised her seasonal shooting average to 50%.50\%. How many of these 1010 shots did she make?

22

33

55

66

88

Difficulty rating: 960
Small Hint:

After the next game she has attempted 30+10=4030 + 10 = 40 shots

Big Hint:

A 50%50\% average on 4040 shots means 2020 made in all; she already had 1212

Solution:

After the fourth game she has taken 4040 shots. A 50%50\% average means she made 12×40=20\tfrac12 \times 40 = 20 shots in total.

She had already made 12,12, so she made 2012=820 - 12 = 8 of the last 10.10.

Thus, the correct answer is E .

17.

Abby, Bret, Carl, and Dana are seated in a row of four seats numbered 11 to 4.4. Joe looks at them and says: “Bret is next to Carl.” “Abby is between Bret and Carl.” However, each one of Joe’s statements is false. Bret is actually sitting in seat 3.3. Who is sitting in seat 2?2?

Abby

Bret

Carl

Dana

There is not enough information to be sure

Difficulty rating: 1060
Small Hint:

“Bret is next to Carl” is false, so Carl is not in seat 22 or seat 4;4; the only remaining seat for Carl is seat 11

Big Hint:

Once Carl is in seat 1,1, “Abby is between Bret and Carl” is false, so Abby cannot be in seat 2;2; place Abby in the last open seat and see who is left

Solution:

Bret is in seat 3.3. Since “Bret is next to Carl” is false, Carl is not in seat 22 or seat 4,4, so Carl must be in seat 1.1.

The seat between Bret (seat 33) and Carl (seat 11) is seat 2.2. Since “Abby is between Bret and Carl” is false, Abby is not in seat 2,2, so Abby must be in seat 4.4.

That leaves Dana in seat 2.2.

Thus, the correct answer is D .

18.

Half the people in a room left. One third of those remaining started to dance. There were then 1212 people who were not dancing. What was the original number of people in the room?

2424

3030

3636

4242

7272

Difficulty rating: 960
Small Hint:

After half leave, the number remaining is what the dancing fraction applies to

Big Hint:

The 1212 non-dancers are 23\dfrac23 of those remaining

Solution:

Of those remaining, 13\dfrac13 danced, so 23\dfrac23 did not. Thus 23\dfrac23 of the remaining people equals 12,12, giving 1818 remaining.

Those 1818 are half the original group, so the room started with 2×18=362 \times 18 = 36 people.

Thus, the correct answer is C .

19.

A calculator has a squaring key x2\boxed{x^2} that replaces the number currently displayed with its square. For example, if the display reads 003\boxed{\phantom{00}3} and x2\boxed{x^2} is pressed, the display becomes 009.\boxed{\phantom{00}9}. If the display reads 002,\boxed{\phantom{00}2}, how many times must x2\boxed{x^2} be pressed to produce a displayed number greater than 500?500?

44

55

88

99

250250

Concepts:exponent
Difficulty rating: 1030
Small Hint:

Starting from 2,2, each press squares the number: 2,2, 4,4, 16,16, 256,256, \ldots

Big Hint:

Find the first term in that list that exceeds 500500

Solution:

Pressing the key repeatedly gives 241625665536.2 \to 4 \to 16 \to 256 \to 65536.

Since 256<500<65536,256 \lt 500 \lt 65536, the display first exceeds 500500 on the fourth press.

Thus, the correct answer is A .

20.

Consider the statement: “If a whole number nn is not prime, then the whole number n2n - 2 is not prime.” Which of the following values of nn shows this statement to be false?

99

1212

1313

1616

2323

Difficulty rating: 1010
Small Hint:

To disprove an “if ... then” statement, find a case where the “if” part holds but the “then” part fails

Big Hint:

Look for nn that is not prime while n2n - 2 is prime

Solution:

A counterexample needs nn not prime but n2n - 2 prime. For n=9,n = 9, the number 99 is not prime while 92=79 - 2 = 7 is prime, so it breaks the statement.

The others fail to be counterexamples: 122=1012 - 2 = 10 and 162=1416 - 2 = 14 are not prime, while 1313 and 2323 are themselves prime.

Thus, the correct answer is A .

21.

Suppose nn^\ast means 1n,\dfrac1n, the reciprocal of n.n. For example, 5=15.5^\ast = \dfrac15. How many of the following four statements are true?

(i)3+6=9\mathrm{(i)}\quad 3^\ast + 6^\ast = 9^\ast

(ii)64=2\mathrm{(ii)}\quad 6^\ast - 4^\ast = 2^\ast

(iii)26=12\mathrm{(iii)}\quad 2^\ast \cdot 6^\ast = 12^\ast

(iv)10÷2=5\mathrm{(iv)}\quad 10^\ast \div 2^\ast = 5^\ast

00

11

22

33

44

Difficulty rating: 1030
Small Hint:

Replace each nn^\ast with 1n\dfrac1n and test the two sides of each statement

Big Hint:

For (iv),\mathrm{(iv)}, 10÷2=110÷12=110210^\ast \div 2^\ast = \dfrac{1}{10} \div \dfrac12 = \dfrac{1}{10} \cdot 2

Solution:

(i)\mathrm{(i)} 13+16=12,\dfrac13 + \dfrac16 = \dfrac12, but 9=19,9^\ast = \dfrac19, so false. (ii)\mathrm{(ii)} 1614=112,\dfrac16 - \dfrac14 = -\dfrac{1}{12}, but 2=12,2^\ast = \dfrac12, so false.

(iii)\mathrm{(iii)} 1216=112=12,\dfrac12 \cdot \dfrac16 = \dfrac{1}{12} = 12^\ast, true. (iv)\mathrm{(iv)} 110÷12=15=5,\dfrac{1}{10} \div \dfrac12 = \dfrac15 = 5^\ast, true.

So exactly 22 of the statements are true.

Thus, the correct answer is C .

22.

ABCDABCD is a rectangle, DD is the center of the circle, and BB is on the circle. If AD=4AD = 4 and CD=3,CD = 3, then the area of the shaded region is between which two values?

44 and 55

55 and 66

66 and 77

77 and 88

88 and 99

Difficulty rating: 1120
Small Hint:

The diagonal DBDB is the radius; find it with the Pythagorean theorem

Big Hint:

The shaded region is a quarter of the circle with the rectangle removed: 14π(5)234\dfrac14 \pi (5)^2 - 3 \cdot 4

Solution:

Since AD=4AD = 4 and CD=3,CD = 3, the diagonal DB=32+42=5,DB = \sqrt{3^2 + 4^2} = 5, which is the radius.

The shaded region is the quarter circle at DD minus the rectangle: 14π(5)2(3)(4)=25π41219.612=7.6. \begin{gathered} \dfrac14 \pi (5)^2 - (3)(4) = \dfrac{25\pi}{4} - 12 \\ \approx 19.6 - 12 = 7.6. \end{gathered}

This lies between 77 and 8.8.

Thus, the correct answer is D .

23.

Assume the adjoining chart shows the 19801980 U.S. population, in millions, for each region by ethnic group. To the nearest percent, what percent of the U.S. Black population lived in the South?

NE MW South West
White 4242 5252 5757 3535
Black 55 55 1515 22
Asian 11 11 11 33
Other 11 11 22 44

20%20\%

25%25\%

40%40\%

56%56\%

80%80\%

Concepts:percentage
Difficulty rating: 820
Small Hint:

Add the Black population across all four regions to get the total

Big Hint:

Divide the South’s figure by that total, then convert to a percent

Solution:

The total Black population is 5+5+15+2=275 + 5 + 15 + 2 = 27 million.

The South’s share is 1527=5955.6%,\dfrac{15}{27} = \dfrac59 \approx 55.6\%, which rounds to 56%.56\%.

Thus, the correct answer is D .

24.

A multiple choice examination consists of 2020 questions. The scoring is +5+5 for each correct answer, 2-2 for each incorrect answer, and 00 for each unanswered question. John’s score on the examination is 48.48. What is the maximum number of questions he could have answered correctly?

99

1010

1111

1212

1616

Difficulty rating: 1150
Small Hint:

If cc answers are correct and ww are wrong, then 5c2w=485c - 2w = 48

Big Hint:

Try the largest possible cc: 5c485c - 48 must be a nonnegative even number 2w,2w, with c+w20c + w \le 20

Solution:

Let cc be the number correct and ww the number wrong, so 5c2w=48.5c - 2w = 48. Then 2w=5c48,2w = 5c - 48, which requires cc to be even.

Trying c=14c = 14 gives w=11,w = 11, but c+w=25>20,c + w = 25 \gt 20, too many; every larger even cc would require still more answered questions. Trying c=12c = 12 gives w=6w = 6 and c+w=1820,c + w = 18 \le 20, which works. So the maximum is 12.12.

Thus, the correct answer is D .

25.

Ten balls numbered 11 to 1010 are in a jar. Jack reaches into the jar and randomly removes one of the balls. Then Jill reaches into the jar and randomly removes a different ball. What is the probability that the sum of the two numbers on the balls removed is even?

49\dfrac{4}{9}

919\dfrac{9}{19}

12\dfrac{1}{2}

1019\dfrac{10}{19}

59\dfrac{5}{9}

Difficulty rating: 1090
Small Hint:

The sum of two numbers is even exactly when both are odd or both are even

Big Hint:

There are 55 odd and 55 even balls; count the matching-parity pairs out of all (102)\binom{10}{2} pairs

Solution:

The sum is even when both balls are odd or both are even. There are (52)=10\binom{5}{2} = 10 all-odd pairs and (52)=10\binom{5}{2} = 10 all-even pairs, for 2020 favorable pairs.

The total number of pairs is (102)=45,\binom{10}{2} = 45, so the probability is 2045=49.\dfrac{20}{45} = \dfrac49.

Thus, the correct answer is A .