1998 AMC 8 Exam Problems
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All of the real AMC 8 and AMC 10 problems in our complete solution collection are used with official permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
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1.
For which of the following is the smallest?
Answer: B
Solution:
If we plug in the values into each answer choice, we get the following:
A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
Thus, the correct answer is B.
2.
If what is the value of
Answer: E
Solution:
Plugging into the formula above, we get:
Thus, the correct answer is E.
3.
What is the value of:
Answer: B
Solution:
This evaluates to:
Thus, the correct answer is B.
4.
How many triangles are in this figure? (Some triangles may overlap other triangles.)
Answer: E
Solution:
First, we can clearly see the small triangles, and the triangle that encompasses the entire figue. Also, there is more triangle when combining the two rightmost smaller triangles.
This leads to us having triangles.
Thus, the correct answer is E.
5.
Which of the following numbers is largest?
Answer: B
Solution:
Each of them start with Thus, we need to look at the next digits.
For choices A and B, the next digit is while it is for C, for D, and for E.
This means we only have to look at A and B as possible solutions. After the choice A terminates while the next term for B is so choice B is larger.
Thus, the correct answer is B.
6.
Dots are spaced one unit apart, horizontally and vertically. The number of square units enclosed by the polygon is
Answer: B
Solution:
Consider the rectangle on the bottom. The figure is the same as when we take some area out on the bottom and add the same area on the top. Thus, the area is the same as the the rectangle, which is
Thus, the correct answer is B.
7.
Answer: D
Solution:
We will group the first two terms and the last two terms.
This will make the expression equal to
Thus, the correct answer is D.
8.
A child's wading pool contains gallons of water. If water evaporates at the rate of gallons per day and no other water is added or removed, how many gallons of water will be in the pool after days?
Answer: C
Solution:
The amount lost is gallons. Therefore, the amount left is
Thus, the correct answer is C.
9.
For a sale, a store owner reduces the price of a scarf by Later the price is lowered again, this time by one-half the reduced price. The price is now
$2.00
$3.75
$4.00
$4.90
$6.40
Answer: C
Solution:
After the reduction, the price is $10\cdot 0.8=$8.
Then, after halving the price, the price is \dfrac {$8}2 = $4.
Thus, the correct answer is C.
10.
Each of the letters and represents a different integer in the set but not necessarily in that order. If then the sum of and is:
Answer: E
Solution:
The fractions and must be integers as there is no other fractional part that can there twice.
Thus, they are both integers, making a denominator. The only other possible denominator could be with its numerator being
Thus, we could get making the sum equal to
Thus, the correct answer is E.
11.
Harry has 3 sisters and 5 brothers. His sister Harriet has sisters and brothers. What is the product of and
Answer: C
Solution:
Since Harry has 3 sisters and 5 brothers, the family has 3 girls and 6 boys. Then, Harriet would be one or the girls, so she had sisters and brothers. Thus, the product of the number of brothers and sisters is
Thus, the correct answer is C.
12.
What is the value of the following expression?
Answer: A
Solution:
Directly evaluating, we get that:
Thus, the correct answer is A.
13.
What is the ratio of the area of the shaded square to the area of the large square? (The figure is drawn to scale)
Answer: C
Solution:
We could extend the figure to the following:
Then, we could look at the bottom triangle that makes up a quarter of the figure.
Half of that area is the shaded area, so the entire shaded area is
Thus, the correct answer is C.
14.
An Annville Junior High School, of the students in the Math Club are in the Science Club, and of the students in the Science Club are in the Math Club. There are students in the Science Club. How many students are in the Math Club?
Answer: E
Solution:
Since of people are in both clubs, the number of people in both clubs is This is of the math club, so the number of people in the math club is
Thus, the correct answer is E.
15.
In the very center of the Irenic Sea lie the beautiful Nisos Isles. In the number of people on these islands is only but the population triples every years. Queen Irene has decreed that there must be at least square miles for every person living in the Isles. The total area of the Nisos Isles is square miles.
Estimate the population of Nisos in the year
Answer: D
Solution:
The population in which is years after is
Therefore, as the population in is approximately which is approximately equal to
Thus, the correct answer is D.
16.
In the very center of the Irenic Sea lie the beautiful Nisos Isles. In the number of people on these islands is only but the population triples every years. Queen Irene has decreed that there must be at least square miles for every person living in the Isles. The total area of the Nisos Isles is square miles.
Estimate the year in which the population of Nisos will be approximately
Answer: B
Solution:
This would be the year the population is times as much as in This means the population triples approximately times, making the year approximately years after This would be so is the best approximation.
Thus, the correct answer is B.
17.
In the very center of the Irenic Sea lie the beautiful Nisos Isles. In the number of people on these islands is only but the population triples every years. Queen Irene has decreed that there must be at least square miles for every person living in the Isles. The total area of the Nisos Isles is square miles.
In how many years, approximately, from will the population of Nisos be as much as Queen Irene has proclaimed that the islands can support?
years
years
years
years
years
Answer: C
Solution:
The maximal population is This is times as much as the population in so it would be about triples from That would be years.
Thus, the correct answer is C.
18.
As indicated by the diagram below, a rectangular piece of paper is folded bottom to top, then left to right, and finally, a hole is punched at . What does the paper look like when unfolded?
Answer: B
Solution:
When we undo the fold, the rectangle with the punched hole in the upper left is in the bottom right. The only such answer choice is B.
Thus, the correct answer is B.
19.
Tamika selects two different numbers at random from the set and adds them. Carlos takes two different numbers at random from the set and multiplies them. What is the probability that Tamika's result is greater than Carlos' result?
Answer: A
Solution:
Tamika, with equal probability, can get one of
Carlos, with equal probability, can get one of
There is a probability that Carlos gets which would always have Tamika having a higher number.
There is a probability that Carlos gets which would have a probability that Tamika gets a higer number of
There is a probability that Carlos gets which would always have Tamika never a higher number.
Therefore, the total probability is:
Thus, the correct answer is A.
20.
Let be a square piece of paper. is folded onto and then is folded onto The area of the resulting figure is 9 square inches. Find the perimeter of square
Answer: D
Solution:
Let the side length be Then, folding to would give an isoceles right triangle with area Here, and are across from each other, so when it is folded, the area is making
As such, the area is
Thus, the correct answer is D.
21.
A cubical box contains 64 identical small cubes that exactly fill the box. How many of these small cubes touch a side or the bottom of the box?
Answer: B
Solution:
The entire bottom with a volume of is counted. Then, there are cubes left. There are layers, with each of being a square. Only the interior doesn't touch the outside, so each layer has cubes. This makes the total number of cubes equal to
Thus, the correct answer is B.
22.
Terri produces a sequence of positive integers by following three rules. She starts with a positive integer, then applies the appropriate rule to the result, and continues in this fashion.
Rule 1: If the integer is less than 10, multiply it by 9.
Rule 2: If the integer is even and greater than 9, divide it by 2.
Rule 3: If the integer is odd and greater than 9, subtract 5 from it.
For example, consider the sample sequence:
Find the term of the sequence that begins with:
Answer: D
Solution:
The sequence starts with the following: Thus, after the first four, it has a cycle of length This makes the term equal to the term of the sequence, which is
Thus, the correct answer is D.
23.
If the pattern in the diagram continues, what fraction of eighth triangle would be shaded?
Answer: C
Solution:
The total number of triangles in the triangle is
The total number of shaded triangles in the triangle is the triangular number, which is:
This makes the ratio equal to:
Thus, the correct answer is C.
24.
A rectangular board of 8 columns has squares numbered beginning in the upper left corner and moving left to right so row one is numbered 1 through 8, row two is 9 through 16, and so on. A student shades square 1, then skips one square and shades square 3, skips two squares and shades square 6, skips 3 squares and shades square 10, and continues in this way until there is at least one shaded square in each column.
What is the number of the shaded square that first achieves this result?
Answer: E
Solution:
The only shaded squares are the triangular numbers (the triangular number is the sum of the first numbers). As such, we have to find the first triangular number such that every possible value is accounted for.
Note that the formula for triangular numbers is
Thus, we must find a triangular number for each value modulo For the first one is meaning the answer is at least is the greatest answer choice available, so we know the answer must be By inspection, we can also see that every other value modulo comes before anyways, but that is omitted here.
Thus, the correct answer is E.
25.
Three generous friends, each with some money, redistribute the money as followed: Amy gives enough money to Jan and Toy to double each amount has. Jan then gives enough to Amy and Toy to double their amounts. Finally, Toy gives enough to Amy and Jan to double their amounts. If Toy had $36 at the beginning and $36 at the end, what is the total amount that all three friends have?
$108
$180
$216
$252
$288
Answer: D
Solution:
Since Toy doubles his money after the first two turns, he has $144 in the end. Then, he gives away 144-36=$108. Since this doubles Any and Jan's money, they had $108 before Toy gives them money. Thus, the total amount of money is $144+$108=$252.
Thus, the correct answer is D.