2025 AMC 8 Problem 5

Below is the video solution and professionally curated solution for Problem 5 of the 2025 AMC 8, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2025 AMC 8 solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:coordinate geometryoptimization

Difficulty rating: 960

5.

Betty drives a truck to deliver packages in a neighborhood whose street map is shown below. Betty starts at the factory (labeled FF) and drives to location A,A, then B,B, then C,C, before returning to F.F. What is the shortest distance, in blocks, she can drive to complete the route?

2020

2222

2424

2626

2828

Video solution:
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Written solution:

The key idea is that if driving from coordinates (x1,y1)(x_1, y_1) to (x2,y2),(x_2, y_2), then the shortest distance is x2x1+y2y1.|x_2 - x_1| + |y_2 - y_1|. This is often called the Manhattan distance. It is also equal to the number of horizontal blocks between the locations, plus the number of vertical blocks between the locations.

The shortest distance from FF to AA is then 1+2=3.1 + 2 = 3.

The shortest distance from AA to BB is 7+3=10.7 + 3 = 10.

The shortest distance from BB to CC is 2+4=6.2 + 4 = 6.

The shortest distance from CC to FF is 4+1=5.4 + 1 = 5.

Adding up all of these numbers, we get 3+10+6+5=24,3 + 10 + 6 + 5 = 24, which is choice C.

One small possible shortcut for the solution is to notice that when going from BB to CC to F,F, the visit to CC is conveniently along a shortest path from BB to FF anyway, so we can even remove the requirement to stop at CC from the problem.

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