Question

Joy has $30$ thin rods, one each of every integer length from $1$ cm through $30$ cm. She places the rods with lengths $3$ cm, $7$ cm, and $15$ cm on a table. She then wants to choose a fourth rod that she can put with these three to form a quadrilateral with positive area. How many of the remaining rods can she choose as the fourth rod?

$16$

$17$

$18$

$19$

$20$

Solution:

Four lengths form a quadrilateral with positive area if and only if the longest is strictly less than the sum of the other three. With a fourth rod of length $n,$ this requires $15\lt 3+7+n$ and $n\lt 3+7+15,$ so $5\lt n\lt 25.$

The integers from $6$ to $24$ give $19$ values, but the rods of length $7$ and $15$ are already on the table, leaving $19-2=17$ choices.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

2017 AMC 12A Problem 6

Solution:

Problem 6 in Other Years