2023 AMC 8 Problem 16

Attempt Problem 16 of the 2023 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 2023 AMC 8 solutions, or check the answer key.

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16.

The letters P,P, Q,Q, and RR are entered into a 20×2020 \times 20 table according to the pattern shown below. How many PPs, QQs, and RRs will appear in the completed table?

132132 PPs, 134134 QQs, 134134 RRs

133133 PPs, 133133 QQs, 134134 RRs

133133 PPs, 134134 QQs, 133133 RRs

134134 PPs, 132132 QQs, 134134 RRs

134134 PPs, 133133 QQs, 133133 RRs

Answer: C
Concepts:pattern recognitionmodular arithmetic
Difficulty rating: 1540
Small Hint:

The pattern repeats every 33 entries along each row and column

Big Hint:

Since 20=36+220=3\cdot6+2, two letters get one extra appearance in each line

Video solution:
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Written solution:

Since 20=36+2,20 = 3 \cdot 6 + 2, the bottom 22 letters in each column will occur one more time than the third letter.

This means that the third letter in each column will occur 66 times, whereas the other 22 will appear 77 times.

Across the 2020 columns, PP is the letter that appears 66 times in 77 columns and appears 77 times in the other 1313 columns. The same is true of R.R.

Thus PP and RR each appear 76+137=42+91=1337\cdot6+13\cdot7=42+91=133 times.

QQ will therefore appear 20202133=400266=134\begin{align*} 20 \cdot 20 - 2 \cdot 133 &=400 - 266 \\ &= 134 \end{align*} times.

Thus, C is the correct answer.

Problem 15#15
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