2019 AMC 12A Problem 12

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 12 of the 2019 AMC 12A, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2019 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Concepts:logarithmsystem of equations

Difficulty rating: 1560

12.

Positive real numbers x1x \ne 1 and y1y \ne 1 satisfy log2x=logy16\log_2 x = \log_y 16 and xy=64.xy = 64. What is (log2xy)2?\left(\log_2 \dfrac{x}{y}\right)^2?

252\dfrac{25}{2}

2020

452\dfrac{45}{2}

2525

3232

Solution:

Let a=log2xa = \log_2 x and b=log2y.b = \log_2 y. Then logy16=4b,\log_y 16 = \dfrac{4}{b}, so a=4b,a = \dfrac{4}{b}, giving ab=4.ab = 4.

Since xy=64,xy = 64, we have a+b=6.a + b = 6.

Therefore (log2xy)2=(ab)2=(a+b)24ab=3616=20. \left(\log_2 \tfrac{x}{y}\right)^2 = (a - b)^2 = (a + b)^2 - 4ab = 36 - 16 = 20.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

Problem 12 in Other Years