2003 AMC 8 Problem 24

Attempt Problem 24 of the 2003 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 2003 AMC 8 solutions, or check the answer key.

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

24.

A ship travels from point AA to point BB along a semicircular path, centered at Island X.X. Then it travels along a straight path from BB to C.C. Which of these graphs best shows the ship’s distance from Island XX as it moves along its course?
Answer: B
Concepts:data and graph interpretationcircle
Small hint:
Along the semicircle, the distance from XX is constant.
Big hint:
On the straight segment, the ship first gets closer to X,X, then farther away.
Solution:
Every point on the semicircular path from AA to BB is the same distance from the center X,X, so the graph starts horizontally.
On the straight path from BB to C,C, the ship first gets closer to XX and then farther away from X.X.
Only graph BB starts flat and then decreases before increasing.
Thus, B is the correct answer.
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