2020 AMC 8 Problem 10

Attempt Problem 10 of the 2020 AMC 8 below, then check your answer against the video solution and professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2020 AMC 8 solutions, or check the answer key.

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

10.

Zara has a collection of 44 marbles: an Aggie, a Bumblebee, a Steelie, and a Tiger. She wants to display them in a row on a shelf, but does not want to put the Steelie and the Tiger next to one another. In how many ways can she do this?
66
88
1212
1818
2424
Answer: C
Concepts:arrangements with restrictionscomplementary counting
Small hint:
Count all arrangements first
Big hint:
Subtract arrangements where Steelie and Tiger are treated as one block
Video solution:
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Written solution:
There are 4!=244!=24 total arrangements of the marbles.
If the Steelie and Tiger are adjacent, treat them as one block. Then there are 3!3! ways to arrange the block with the other two marbles, and 22 orders inside the block, for 3!⋅2=123!\cdot2=12 adjacent arrangements.
Therefore, 24−12=1224-12=12 arrangements keep the Steelie and Tiger separated.
Thus, the correct answer is C.
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