1988 AMC 8 Problem 17

Attempt Problem 17 of the 1988 AMC 8 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 1988 AMC 8 solutions, or check the answer key.

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

17.

The shaded area is formed by two intersecting perpendicular rectangles, with dimensions as shown. Its area, in square units, is
2323
3838
4444
4646
unable to be determined from the information given
Answer: B
Concepts:areainclusion-exclusion
Small hint:
Add the areas of the two rectangles, but the overlapping region gets counted twice
Big hint:
The horizontal rectangle is 10×2,10 \times 2, the vertical one is 3×8,3 \times 8, and the overlap is 3×23 \times 2
Solution:
The horizontal rectangle has area 10×2=20,10 \times 2 = 20, and the vertical rectangle has area 3×8=24.3 \times 8 = 24. Their overlap, a 3×23 \times 2 rectangle, has area 6.6.
Adding the two rectangles counts the overlap twice, so the shaded area is 20+24−6=38.20 + 24 - 6 = 38.
Thus, the correct answer is B .
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