2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC 10) Solutions

By QIDb602, dchenmathcounts, and mathicorn

Answer Key:
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. D
6. D
7. B
8. E
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. D
13. C
14. A
15. D
16. C
17. E
18. B
19. E
20. C
21. B
22. E
23. A
24. A
25. B
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |1

1. What is 52 − (42 − (32 − (22 − (12 ))))?

A. −5 B. 3 C. 15 D. 17 E. 23
Solve each exponent individually.
25 − (16 − (9 − (4 − (1))))
Count the number of negative signs before each number. If the number is odd, it will be
subtracted. If the number is even, it will be added.
25 − 16 + 9 − 4 + 1 = C. 15
2. In a 365-day year, rain was falling 10% of the time. If the rain fell at an average rate of
1.5 millimeters per hour, how many millimeters of rain fell on that year?
A. 876 B. 1314 C. 1752 D. 2628 E. 4380
Calculate the number of hours in one 365-day year with 24 ∙ 365 = 8760. Calculate 10%
of that by multiplying by 0.1: 8760 ∙ 0.1 = 876. Finally, multiply by the rate of 1.5
millimeters per hour: 876 ∙ 1.5 = B. 1314.
3. The center of a circle with a radius of 1 is a random point in a square with a side length of
3. What is the chance that the circle is entirely within the square?
1 1 1 4 1
A. 9 B. 4 C. 3 D. 9 E. 2

Divide the square into a 3 × 3 grid. The 8 cells in the outer edge of the 3 × 3 grid are less
than 1 unit away from the nearest edge. Only the central unit of the grid is at least 1 unit
away from any edge. Since there is 1 unit in the grid that allows the circle to be entirely
1
within the square and 9 units in the grid in total, the answer is A. 9 .

4. The temperature on a particular day falls at a constant rate from midnight to 4 a.m., rises
at the same constant rate from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m., and finally falls at the same constant rate
again from 4 p.m. to midnight on the next day. If the average temperature for the day is
12 degrees Celsius and the temperature at 11:30 p.m. is 10 degrees Celsius, when is the
earliest time in the day the temperature reaches 15 degrees Celsius?
A. 12: 15 p.m. B. 12: 45 p.m. C. 1: 45 p.m. D. 2: 15 p.m.
E. The day never reaches 15 degrees Celsius.
Recognize that 11:30 p.m. is 7 hours and 30 minutes after the hottest time of the day (4
p.m.). Subtracting 7 hours and 30 minutes yields 8:30 a.m., a time of the day with the
same temperature due to the constant rate of temperature change. Also recognize that the
temperature at 10:00 a.m. is the average temperature of the day. We can then find that the
amount of time between 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. is 1.5 hours and the change in
temperature is 2 degrees Celsius. We can then use the following proportion to find a time
where the temperature rises by 3 more degrees Celsius from the temperature at 10:00 a.m.
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |2

1.5 𝑥
=
2 3
After solving, we can find that 𝑥 = 2.25. Multiplying 0.25 hours by 60 minutes yields 15
minutes, so the time is 2 hour and 15 minutes after 10:00 a.m., or A. 12: 15 a.m.
5. A clock has a second hand that turns at a constant rate of 1 rotation per minute without
stopping each second. The distance from the tip of the second hand to the center of the
clock is 20 centimeters. What speed does the tip of the second hand move at in kilometers
per hour?
3𝜋 6𝜋 3𝜋 3𝜋 𝜋
A. 625 B. 625 C. 250 D. 125 E. 25

First, find the circumference of the path that the tip of the second hand travels in using
the formula 𝐶 = 2𝜋𝑟. The result is 40𝜋 centimeters. The tip of the second hand therefore
travels 40𝜋 centimeters per minute. Multiply by 60 to find the distance per hour. The
2400𝜋
result is 2400𝜋 inches per hour. Divide 100000 to convert centimeters to kilometers. After
3𝜋
simplifying the fraction, the answer is D. 125 kilometers per hour.

6. 𝑎 and 𝑏 are positive integers less than 11 in the equation 𝑎2 + 𝑎𝑏 = 𝑏 2 + 𝑐. What is the
maximum possible value of 𝑐?
A. 25 B. 100 C. 109 D. 125 E. 175
First, subtract 𝑏 2 from both sides:
𝑎2 + 𝑎𝑏 − 𝑏 2 = 𝑐
Recognize that 𝑎 = 10 because there are no places where a high value of 𝑎 lowers the
value of 𝑐. Substitute 10 for 𝑎.
102 + 10𝑏 − 𝑏 2 = 𝑐
−𝑏 2 + 10𝑏 + 100 = 𝑐
Change the equation into this form:
−𝑥 2 + 10𝑥 + 100 = 0
The axis of symmetry or the 𝑥-value of the vertex of a quadratic equation where 𝑎𝑥 2 +
𝑏
𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 is − 2𝑎. The vertex is a maximum in this case because 𝑎 is negative. Substituting
10 for 𝑏 and −1 for 𝑎, we can find that axis of symmetry is 𝑥 = 5. Substituting 5 for b in
the equation −𝑏 2 + 10𝑏 + 100 = 𝑐, we can find that 𝑐 = 125. Therefore, the answer is
D. 125.
7. The base of a pyramid with positive volume is a regular polygon with 𝑠 sides. All edges
of the pyramid have the same length. How many integer values of 𝑠 are possible?
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |3

A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5 E. infinitely many
The base must have at least 3 sides for the pyramid to have positive area. A base with 6
or more sides would cause the edges of the pyramid that connect with the apex to be too
short in order to have positive area because the distance from the vertex to the center of a
regular hexagon is the same as the length of its side. 𝑠 could be 3, 4, or 5 so the answer is
B. 3.
8. Anna, Brandon, and Charles are in a line of 6 people. The number of people in between
Brandon and Charles (excluding Brandon and Charles themselves) is 1 more than the
number of people in between Anna and Brandon (excluding Anna and Brandon
themselves). Counting reflections as separate ways, in how many ways could the 6
people be lined up?
A. 48 B. 96 C. 132 D. 168 E. 216
Notice that either Brandon could be between Anna and Charles or Anna could be
between Brandon and Charles. Charles cannot be between Anna and Brandon because
then the number of people between Brandon and Charles would be less than the number
of people between Anna and Brandon. We can now list out some possibilities, with A for
Anna, B for Brandon, and C for Charles.
AB_C__
A_B__C
CAB___
CA_B__
CA__B_
CA___B
The number of underscores toward the end of each possibility represents the number of
spaces that Anna, Brandon, and Charles can be shifted. Additionally, the possibility can
be reversed. Counting the number of underscores toward the end and the possibility itself,
there are 14 possibilities. Multiplying by 2 to count reversed possibilities results in 28.
There are also 3 other people. The 3 other people could be lined up in 3! = 6 ways.
Multiplying 28 by 6 results in an answer of E. 168.
9. A right circular cone with a height of 2 and a base that has a radius of 1 is cut into two
congruent pieces. The semicircular bases of the pieces are then joined together so that
they are completely hidden. What is the surface area of the new solid?

A. 2𝜋 + 2√3 B. 2𝜋 + 4 C. √5𝜋 + 4 D. 𝜋 + √5𝜋 + 4 E. √5𝜋 + 8

The formula for the surface area of a right circular cone is 𝐴 = 𝜋𝑟 2 + 𝜋𝑟𝑙, where 𝑙 is the
slant height. Use the Pythagorean Theorem to calculate 𝑙. The result is √5. The area of
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |4

the circle itself is 𝜋𝑟 2 so the area of the cone without the circle is √5𝜋. The sides of the
cone that have been cut open include 4 right triangles with leg lengths of 1 and 2. The
total area of those 4 triangles is 4. Therefore, the answer is C. √5𝜋 + 4.
10. Let 𝑛 represent the number of ways to place 4 non-distinct objects in a 5 × 5 grid with no
more than 1 object in any row or column. Reflections and rotations count as separate
ways. What is the sum of the digits of 𝑛?
A. 3 B. 4 C. 6 D. 9 E. 11

There are 4 rows and 4 columns that each have an object. There are (54) = 5 ways to
choose 4 rows out of 5. Once we know which rows have objects, there are 5 places where
an object can be placed into the row with the first object, 4 places for the next object, 3
places for the next one, and 2 places for the final one. Multiplying 5 ∙ 5 ∙ 4 ∙ 3 ∙ 2, the
result is 600. The sum of the digits of 600 is C. 6.
11. 4 circles with centers of 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶, and 𝐷 all have a radius of 1. They are arranged so that
circles 𝐴, 𝐵, and 𝐷 are mutually tangent and circle 𝐶 is also externally tangent to circles
𝐵 and 𝐷. Parallelogram 𝐸𝐹𝐺𝐻 is internally tangent to each circle at two points. What is
the area of parallelogram 𝐸𝐹𝐺𝐻?

14√3 16√3
A. 8√3 B. 8 + 4√3 C. 8 + D. 8 + E. 10 + 6√3
3 3

Triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐷 must be equilateral because all side lengths are 2. This means that the
𝐸𝐹 and ̅̅̅̅
height of triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐷 is √3. ̅̅̅̅ 𝐻𝐺 are both 1 unit away from triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐷
because the radius of the circle is 1. This means the height of the parallelogram is 2 +
𝐸𝐻 must be parallel to ̅̅̅̅
√3. ̅̅̅̅ 𝐴𝐷 because it is tangent to both circle 𝐴 and circle 𝐷. This
means that ∠𝐹𝐸𝐻 = 60°. Extend ̅̅̅̅ 𝐴𝐵 onto ̅̅̅̅
𝐸𝐻 and call the intersecting point 𝐽. Also,
draw a segment from point 𝐴 to 𝐸𝐻 that is perpendicular to ̅̅̅̅
̅̅̅̅ 𝐸𝐻 and call the intersecting
2√3 4√3
point 𝐾. ∠𝐴𝐽𝐾 = 60° and 𝐴𝐾 = 1 so 𝐴𝐽 = and 𝐸𝐹 = 2 + . Multiply the height of
3 3
4√3 14√3
2 + √3 by the base length of 2 + for an answer of C. 8 + .
3 3

12. What is the value of

32018 − 32017 + 32016 − 32015 + 32014 − 32013 + ⋯ + 32 − 31
32018 + 32016 + 32014 + ⋯ + 32
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |5

1 1 1 2 5
A. B. C. D. E.
6 3 2 3 6

Factor out the numerator:

3(32017 ) − 32017 + 3(32015 ) − 32015 + 3(32013 ) − 32013 + ⋯ + 3(31 ) − 31
32018 + 32016 + 32014 + ⋯ + 32
2017
(3 − 1)3 + (3 − 1)32015 + (3 − 1)32013 + ⋯ + (3 − 1)31
32018 + 32016 + 32014 + ⋯ + 32
2017
(2)3 + (2)32015 + (2)32013 + ⋯ + (2)31
32018 + 32016 + 32014 + ⋯ + 32
Now factor out 2 from the numerator and 3 from the denominator.
(2)(32017 + 32015 + 32013 + ⋯ + 31 )
(3)(32017 + 32015 + 32013 + ⋯ + 31 )
2
The answer is D. 3 .
13. If the following two equations intersect at exactly 4 points in the real 𝑥𝑦-coordinate
plane, what is the minimum possible value of 𝑡?
|𝑥| + |𝑦| = 10
𝑥2 + 𝑦2 = 𝑡

A. 5√2 B. 10√2 C. 50 D. 50√2 E. 100

Notice that |𝑥| + |𝑦| = 10 forms the square bounded by 𝑦 = −𝑥 + 10, 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 10,𝑦 =
−𝑥 − 10,and 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 10. 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 𝑡 is the equation of a circle centered at the origin. 𝑡
is the square of the radius. The corners of the square are 10 units away from the origin, so
𝑡 could be 100, but the circle could also be internally tangent to the sides of the square.
Having the circle internally tangent to the sides of the square allows a smaller value of 𝑡.
10
The distance from the point of tangency to the origin is = 5√2. 𝑡 is the square of 5√2,
√2
which is C. 50.
14. If 𝑚 and 𝑛 are integers greater than 1 but less than 11, how many distinct values of √𝑚𝑛
are not equal to any value of 𝑎√𝑏 where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are positive integers and 𝑎 > 1?
A. 9 B. 10 C. 11 D. 14 E. 15
𝑚𝑛 cannot be divisible by any power of 2 or 3 so neither 𝑚 nor 𝑛 can be 4, 8, or 9. List
out the remaining possibilities while watching out for powers of 2 and 3. In other words,
only include pairs that are relatively prime. Also, watch out for values that are equal to
other values.
2 and 3, 5, or 7 (Notice that 6 = 2 ∙ 3 and 10 = 2 ∙ 5 are not included.)
3 and 5, 7, or 10
5 and 7 (6 is not included because 5 ∙ 6 = 3 ∙ 10.)
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |6

6 and 7
7 and 10
The answer is A. 9.
15. Six fair coins are flipped and one six-sided fair die with the values 1 through 6 is tossed.
The probability that the number of heads tossed is greater than the number shown on the
𝑝
top of the die is 𝑞 where 𝑝 and 𝑞 are relatively prime positive integers. What is 𝑝 + 𝑞?

A. 17 B. 19 C. 169 D. 171 E. 211

There are 7 possibilities for the number of heads:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

The probability for each number 𝑛 of heads is (𝑛6) when 𝑛 > 0 and 1 when 𝑛 = 0.

Calculate the probability for each number 𝑛. The denominators for the probabilities are
64 because 26 = 64.
1 6 15 20 15 6 1
0: 64 1: 64 2: 64 3: 64 4: 64 5: 64 6: 64

Now calculate the chance that the number of heads is greater than the number tossed on
the die for each 𝑛.
0 0 1 2 3 4 5
0: 6 1: 6 2: 6 3: 6 4: 6 5: 6 6: 6

Multiply the probabilities together:

0 0 15 40 45 24 5
0: 384 1: 384 2: 384 3: 384 4: 384 5: 384 6: 384
43
Finally, add to a total of 128. 43 + 128 = D. 171.

16. Triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐶 is an equilateral triangle with a side length of 5. It is divided into 25
smaller triangles that each have a side length of 1. How many line segments with a length
up to 3 can be drawn by connecting any two vertices?
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |7

A. 123 B. 141 C. 159 D. 195 E. 231

There are 5 lengths up to 3: 1, √3, 2, √7, and 3. √3 is obtained by connecting the farthest
vertices in 2 triangles that are touching each other along a side (the shorter red line
segment in the diagram below). √7 is obtained by connecting the farthest vertices in 4
triangles (the longer red line segment in the diagram below).

̅̅̅̅ and then multiply by 3.

For the integer lengths, count the segments that are parallel to 𝐵𝐶
This results in 93 segments. For √3, count the segments that are perpendicular to BC and
then multiply by 3. This results in 30 segments. For √7, count the segments that are
within one row of triangles. Make sure to count all reflections. This results in 36
segments. The answer is 93 + 30 + 36 = C. 159.
17. A 3-digit positive integer is called trimmable if the last 𝑛 and the first 3 − 𝑛 digits are
both evenly divisible by 3 when 𝑛 equals either 1 or 2. For example, 450 is trimmable
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |8

because both 45 and 0 are evenly divisible by 3. 624 is trimmable because both 6 and 24
are divisible by 3. How many 3-digit positive integers are trimmable?
A. 120 B. 144 C. 147 D. 162 E. 174
We can separately consider cases where 𝑛 = 1 and 𝑛 = 2.
If 𝑛 = 1, we can consider cases where the last digit is 0, 3, 6, or 9. These cases make up
360 3-digit numbers. We then see that there are 30 multiples of 3 between 10 and 99,
1 1
inclusive. This is 3 of the numbers between 10 and 99 so we multiply 360 by 3, resulting
in 120.
The case for 𝑛 = 2 means that the first digit is 3, 6, or 9. This is 300 numbers. We then
need to consider that the last two digits must be divisible by 3. The last digit must be 1, 2,
4, 5, 7, or 8 because cases where 𝑛 = 1 are already considered. We see that if the last
digit is 1, 4, or 7, the tens digit must be 2, 5, or 8 using divisibility rules. Similarly, if the
last digit is 2, 5, or 8, the tens digit must be 1, 4, or 7. Both cases result in 3 possibilities
for the tens digit, and there are 6 possibilities for the ones digit. There are also 3
possibilities for the hundreds digit. Multiplying the numbers together, there are 54
numbers for this case.
Adding both cases together results in an answer of E. 174.

18. Circle 𝐴 with a radius of 𝑎 is inscribed in a right triangle with leg lengths of 1 and √3.
𝑏
Circle 𝐵 with a radius of 𝑏 is circumscribed around the same triangle. 𝑎 is equal to 𝑘 +
𝑚√𝑛, where 𝑘, 𝑚, and 𝑛 are integers, 𝑛 is positive, and 𝑛 is not evenly divisible by the
square of any integer greater than 1. What is 𝑘 + 𝑚 + 𝑛?
A. 4 B. 5 C. 6 D. 7 E. 8
The triangle has angles of 30°, 60°, and 90°. Draw a triangle with the 90° angle at the
bottom left corner, a 60° angle above the 90° angle, and a 30° angle right of the 90°
angle. Let the point with the right angle be (0,0). The intersection of the angle bisectors
of a triangle is the center of the incircle. Bisect the 90° angle and the 60° angle and
calculate the slopes of the angle bisectors. Make this system of equations:
𝑦=𝑥
𝑦 = −√3𝑥 + 1
Solving this system of equations finds the 𝑥-value and the 𝑦-value of the center of the
√3−1
incircle to be . This is also the radius of the incircle because the incircle is tangent to
2
the two legs of the triangle.
𝐴
Another way to find the inradius is to use this formula: 𝑟 = 𝑠 , where 𝑟 is the inradius, 𝐴
is the area of the triangle, and 𝑠 is the semiperimeter, or half of the perimeter.
 2018 AMC 10C (A Mock AMC) Solutions |9

The circumcircle has a radius of 1 because the hypotenuse is the diameter of a right
triangle’s circumcircle. The answer is the reciprocal of the inradius or 1 + 1√3. Add 1 +
1 + 3 = B. 5.
19. Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, and 𝑑 be positive integers. If 𝑙𝑐𝑚(𝑎, 𝑏) = 30, 𝑙𝑐𝑚(𝑏, 𝑐) = 42, and
𝑙𝑐𝑚(𝑐, 𝑑) = 70, how many possible ordered pairs (𝑎, 𝑑) are there?
A. 2 B. 5 C. 9 D. 12 E. 16
List the prime factorization of 30, 42, and 70:
30: 2 ∙ 3 ∙ 5
42: 2 ∙ 3 ∙ 7
70: 2 ∙ 5 ∙ 7
List the factors of 30, 42, and 70:
30: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, 30
42: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21, 42
70: 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 35, 70
Find common factors of 30 and 42 to find possible values of b. 30 and 42 share the
common factors of 1, 2, 3, and 6. 𝑏 cannot be 1 because c would need to be 42, which
causes 𝑙𝑐𝑚(𝑐, 𝑑) = 70 to be false as the prime factorization of 42 is 2 ∙ 3 ∙ 7 and the
prime factorization of 70 does not contain 3. 𝑏 cannot be 2 because 𝑐 would need to be 21
or 42, which also causes 𝑙𝑐𝑚(𝑐, 𝑑) = 70 to be false. Thus, b is either 3 or 6. Using the
same method, we can find that c is either 7 or 14. It is not possible for b to be 3 and c to
be 7 because 𝑙𝑐𝑚(𝑏, 𝑐) = 42 would be false. Now, there are 3 different cases:
𝑏 = 3 and 𝑐 = 14
𝑏 = 6 and 𝑐 = 7
𝑏 = 6 and 𝑐 = 14
For 𝑏 = 3 and 𝑐 = 14, we can see that 𝑎 must be a multiple of 10 and 𝑑 must be a
multiple of 5 using the prime factorization.
For 𝑏 = 6 and 𝑐 = 7, we can see that 𝑎 must be a multiple of 5 and 𝑑 must be a multiple
of 10 using the prime factorization.
For 𝑏 = 6 and 𝑐 = 14, we can see that 𝑎 and 𝑑 must be multiples of 5 using the prime
factorization.
All ordered pairs (𝑎, 𝑑) are included in the case for 𝑏 = 6 and 𝑐 = 14 because all
multiples of 10 are also multiples of 5. Using the factors lists, we can see that 𝑎 is 5, 10,
 2 0 1 8 A M C 1 0 C ( A M o c k A M C ) S o l u t i o n s | 10

15, or 30 and 𝑑 is 5, 10, 35, or 70. There are 4 possible values for 𝑎 and 4 possible values
for 𝑑, so the answer is 4 ∙ 4 = E. 16.
20. 2 tired friends are 4 kilometers apart from each other on a road. Every 15 minutes, each
1 1
friend has a 2 chance of walking 1 kilometer toward the other friend and a 2 chance of
stopping to rest for the 15 minutes. This continues until the friends meet each other. What
is the probability that both friends will be 2 kilometers from their starting locations when
they meet each other?
13 28 11 13 17
A. 81 B. 81 C. 27 D. 27 E. 27

Use “A” to indicate one friend, “B” to indicate the other friend, and “O” to indicate both
friends. We can first find that in any given time period, the probability of friend A and
1 1
only friend A walking is 4. The probability of friend B and only friend B walking is 4.
1
The probability of both friends walking is 4. The probability of neither friend walking is
1
. If neither friend walks, the same situation is repeated so we can say friend A only,
4
1
friend B only, and both friends all have a 3 chance of walking. Now, we will need to find
how the friends can walk to a point that is 2 kilometers from both starting points. Here
are the possibilities:
Both friends 2 times (OO)
Friend A only, friend B only, and both friends (ABO in any order)
Friend A only 2 times and friend B only 2 times (AABB in any order)
1 1
The probability of “OO” is 9 because each time “O” has a probability of 3. There are 3! =
6 possibilities for “ABO” because the letters can be arranged in any order, and each
1 6
possibility has a 27 chance, so the probability for “ABO” is 27. There are (42) = 6
possibilities for “AABB” because 2 A’s and 2 B’s are chosen out of 4, and each
1 6
possibility has a 81 chance, so the probability for “ABO” is 81.

Another way to calculate the number of possibilities for “AABB” is to list them out:
AABB
ABAB
ABBA
BAAB
BABA
BBAA
 2 0 1 8 A M C 1 0 C ( A M o c k A M C ) S o l u t i o n s | 11

1 6 6 11
Add the probabilities together: + + = C. .
9 27 81 27

21. In triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐶, 𝐴𝐵 = 82. Point 𝐷 is the midpoint of ̅̅̅̅

𝐴𝐵 and point 𝐸 is placed on ̅̅̅̅
𝐴𝐶 . If
𝐷𝐸 = 15, 𝐴𝐸 = 52, and 𝐶𝐷 = 41, what is the area of quadrilateral 𝐵𝐶𝐸𝐷?
A. 432 B. 486 C. 504 D. 540 E. 666
Inscribe triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐶 in a circle. Notice that 𝐴𝐷̅̅̅̅ = 41 and 𝐵𝐷
̅̅̅̅ = 41. This means ∠𝐴𝐶𝐵
̅̅̅̅ is a diameter of the circle. Extend ̅̅̅̅
is a right angle because 𝐴𝐵 𝐷𝐸 to make another
diameter. Call the point on the circle away farther from point 𝐸 point 𝐹 and the point on
the circle closer to point 𝐸 point 𝐺. 𝐸𝐹 = 56 and 𝐸𝐺 = 26. According to power of a
point, 𝐸𝐹 × 𝐸𝐺 = 𝐴𝐸 × 𝐶𝐸. With this, we can figure out that 𝐶𝐸 = 28. Using the
Pythagorean Theorem, we can find that 𝐵𝐶 = 18. Drop an altitude from point 𝐷 to 𝐴𝐶 ̅̅̅̅ .
Due to similar triangles, the length of the altitude is 9. The area of triangle 𝐴𝐷𝐸 is 234
and the area of triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐶 is 720 so the area of quadrilateral 𝐵𝐶𝐸𝐷 is 720 − 234 = B.
486.
22. The Angry Tomatoes are practicing by splitting their 6-player team into 2 teams of 3
players each and letting their 3-player teams play against each other. The players have
skill levels of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, with 1 being the least skillful and 6 being the most
skillful. Team captains Tony and Rosa take turns choosing players for their team with
Tony choosing first. However, the captains are humans and they can make mistakes.
Each time a captain chooses a player, there is a 1 3 probability that the captain
underestimates a player’s skill level by 1 and a 1 3 probability that the captain
overestimates a player’s skill level by 1. The captains will always choose the player that
they perceive as most skillful. If there is a tie, the captains will choose the player that is
actually more skillful. If the team with a higher total skill level wins, what is the
probability that Rosa’s team wins?
67 73 1 64 67
A. 6561 B. 6561 C. 81 D. 2187 E. 2187

We can see that if the skill difference between the most skillful and the second most
1
skillful player is 1, a captain has a 9 probability of choosing the second most skillful
8
player and a 9 probability of choosing the most skillful player because the captain must
make one overestimation and one underestimation to choose the second most skillful
player. When the two captains choose starting with Tony there are three cases with
different probabilities:
8 8 64
Case 1: Both captains choose the most skillful player available: 9 ∙ 9 = 81

Case 2: Tony chooses the second most skillful player and Rosa can only choose the most
1
skillful player due of a skill difference of 2 points: 9
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Case 3: Tony chooses the most skillful player and then Rosa chooses the second most
8 1 8
player available: 9 ∙ 9 = 81

We can see that Tony’s team earns 1 point more than Rosa’s team with case 1 and Rosa’s
team earns 1 point more than Rosa’s team with case 2. Any occurrence of case 3 would
cause Tony’s team to win because Tony’s team would have a lead of 4 points after Tony
chooses the player that Rosa did not choose. There is no way to earn the 4 points back.
There are now two possibilities:
The first possibility is that case 1 happens once and case 2 happens two times. There are
64
(31) = 3 different ways for this to occur. Multiply the 3 ways by the probability: 3 ∙ 81 ∙
1 2 64
(9) = 2187

The second possibility is that case 2 happens three times. Calculate the probability:
1 3 1
(9) = 729
64 1 67
Add the two probabilities: 2187 + 729 = E. 2187 .

23. Three vertices are randomly chosen on a regular 36-sided polygon. When the three
vertices are connected to form a triangle, what is the probability that the triangle is either
isosceles or equilateral?
7 10 3 52 2
A. 85 B. 119 C. 35 D. 595 E. 17

After two points are chosen, there are four cases to consider:
The points are an even number of sides apart, but not separated by 12 or 18 sides.
The points are an odd number of sides apart.
The points are 12 sides apart.
The points are 18 sides apart.
We can see that there are 18 possibilities for the points to be an odd number of sides
apart. This results in 2 possibilities out of 34 for the third point to form an isosceles
triangle (There must be an equal number of sides between two line segments of the
triangle, and this rule allows 2 possibilities out of 34.
We can see that there are 14 possibilities for the points to be an even number of sides
apart, but not separated by 12 or 18 sides. This results in 4 out of 34 possibilities for the
third point (2 possibilities to either side of the two points and 2 possibilities halfway
between the two points).
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We can see that there are 2 possibilities for the points to be 12 sides apart. This results in
2 out of 34 possibilities for the third point to form an isosceles or equilateral triangle
(both halfway in between the points).
We can see that there is 1 possibility for the points to be 18 sides apart. This results in 2
out of 34 possibilities for the third point to form an isosceles triangle (both halfway in
between the points).
4
There are 14 out of 35 possibilities that result in a 34 chance of an isosceles or equilateral
2
triangle and 18 + 2 + 1 = 21 out of 35 possibilities that result in a 34 chance of an
14 4
isosceles or equilateral triangle. We can calculate by adding together the cases: 35 ∙ 34 +
21 2 7
∙ = A. .
35 34 85

24. In the following function, 𝑏, 𝑐, and 𝑑 are integers. If −4 ≤ 𝑏 ≤ 4, −2 ≤ 𝑐 ≤ 2, −2 ≤

𝑑 ≤ 2, and the function has 2 distinct integer zeros, how many possible ordered triples
(𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑) are there?
𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐
𝑓(𝑥) = +1
𝑑
A. 54 B. 58 C. 62 D. 66 E. 67
First, set the function equal to zero and simplify it.
𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐
0= +1
𝑑
𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐
−1 =
𝑑
−𝑑 = 𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐
0 = 𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + (𝑐 + 𝑑)
In order for the polynomial to have integer roots, 𝑏 must be the sum of two integers that
multiply to (𝑐 + 𝑑). −4 ≤ (𝑐 + 𝑑) ≤ 4 so we could list out all the possibilities, while not
including ones without distinct roots or without both roots between −4 and 4, inclusive.
Corresponding 𝑏-values are written in brackets.
−4: − 4 × 1 [−3], −2 × 2 [0], −1 × 4 [3]
−3: − 3 × 1 [−2], −1 × 3 [2]
−2: − 2 × 1 [−1], −1 × 2 [1]
−1: − 1 × 1 [0]
0: Any nonzero integer works. 0 does not work because 𝑥 2 does not have distinct roots.
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1: 1 × 1 [2] and − 1 × −1 [−2] don' t work because (𝑥 + 1)2 and (𝑥 − 1)2 do not have
distinct roots.
2: 1 × 2 [3], −2 × −1 [−3]
3: 1 × 3 [4], −3 × −1 [−4]
4: 2 × 2 [4] and − 2 × −2 [−4] don' t work because (𝑥 + 2)2 and (𝑥 − 2)2 do not have
distinct roots. 1 × 4 [5] and − 4 × −1 [−5] do not satisfy − 4 ≤ 𝑏 ≤ 4.
Now, find possible values for 𝑐 and 𝑑 that add up to certain values of (𝑐 + 𝑑). Note that
𝑑 ≠ 0 because 𝑑 is in the denominator.
(𝑐 + 𝑑) 𝑐 𝑑
-4 -2 -2
-3 -2 -1
-3 -1 -2
-2 -1 -1
-2 0 -2
-1 -2 1
-1 0 -1
-1 1 -2
0 -2 2
0 -1 1
0 1 -1
0 2 -2
The (𝑐 + 𝑑) values greater than 0 have the same number of possibilities as the negative
values, and 𝑐 and 𝑑 are just both multiplied by −1. Now, multiply the number of
possibilities for 𝑏 with the number of possibilities for (𝑐, 𝑑) for each value of (𝑐, 𝑑).
−4: 3 × 1 = 3
−3: 2 × 2 = 4
−2: 2 × 2 = 4
−1: 1 × 3 = 3
0: 8 × 4 = 32
1: 0
2: 2 × 2 = 4
3: 2 × 2 = 4
4: 0
Adding the possibilities together, the answer is A. 54.
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25. All diagonals of regular pentagon 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷𝐸 are drawn out. The diagonals form the smaller
pentagon 𝐹𝐺𝐻𝐽𝐾 around the center of pentagon 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷𝐸. If the area of pentagon 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷𝐸
is 2, the area of pentagon 𝐹𝐺𝐻𝐽𝐾 can be written as 𝑎 + 𝑏√𝑐, where 𝑎, 𝑏, and 𝑐 are
integers, 𝑐 is positive, and 𝑐 is not evenly divisible by the square of any integer greater
than 1. What is 𝑎 + 𝑏 + 𝑐?

A. 6 B. 9 C. 12 D. 15 E. 18
Pentagon 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷𝐸 and pentagon 𝐹𝐺𝐻𝐽𝐾 are similar. We can let the congruent triangles
𝐸𝐹𝐴, 𝐴𝐺𝐵, 𝐵𝐻𝐶, 𝐶𝐽𝐷, and 𝐷𝐾𝐸 have an area of 𝑎 and the congruent triangles 𝐹𝐴𝐺,
𝐺𝐵𝐻, 𝐻𝐶𝐽, 𝐽𝐷𝐾, and 𝐾𝐸𝐹 have an area of 𝑏. The pentagon 𝐹𝐺𝐻𝐽𝐾 has an area of 𝑐. We
can find that 5𝑎 + 5𝑏 + 𝑐 = 2. ∠𝐵𝐴𝐶 ≅ ∠𝐵𝐶𝐴 because 𝐴𝐵 = 𝐴𝐶. ∠𝐴𝐵𝐶 = 108° so
∠𝐵𝐴𝐶 ≅ ∠𝐵𝐶𝐴 = 36°. ∠𝐴𝐺𝐵 ≅ ∠𝐶𝐻𝐵 = 108° so ∠𝐴𝐵𝐺 ≅ ∠𝐺𝐵𝐻 ≅ ∠𝐶𝐵𝐻 = 36°.
This pattern applies to all corners of the pentagon because it is a regular pentagon.
̅̅̅ and 𝐺𝐾
This allows us to add segments 𝐺𝐽 ̅̅̅̅ . We can figure out that triangle 𝐽𝐺𝐾 is
congruent to triangle 𝐽𝐷𝐾 because all angles and 𝐽𝐾 ̅̅̅ are congruent. 𝐴𝐸 = 𝐴𝐾 because
∠𝐴𝐸𝐾 ≅ ∠𝐴𝐾𝐸 = 72°. This means triangle 𝐸𝐹𝐴 is congruent to triangle 𝐾𝐺𝐴, as
triangle 𝐹𝐴𝐺 is isosceles and all corresponding angles are congruent. This proves that the
area of triangle 𝐾𝐹𝐺 and triangle 𝐽𝐻𝐺 is 𝑎 − 𝑏. Thus, 𝑐 = 2𝑎 − 𝑏 and 7𝑎 + 4𝑏 = 2.
Now, set up this proportion that relates the corresponding areas of the similar pentagons:
area of triangle 𝐾𝐺𝐽 area of triangle 𝐷𝐴𝐶
=
area of triangle 𝐾𝐹𝐺 area of triangle 𝐷𝐸𝐴
𝑏 3𝑎 + 2𝑏
=
𝑎−𝑏 2𝑎 + 𝑏
Cross-multiplying this proportion, the result is 𝑎2 − 𝑎𝑏 − 𝑏 2 = 0.
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Find the ratio of 𝑎 to 𝑏 by substituting 𝑥 for 𝑎 and substituting 1 for 𝑏:

𝑥2 − 𝑥 − 1 = 0
1+√5 𝑎 1+√5
We can find that 𝑥 = . That means 𝑏 = and 2𝑎 = 𝑏(1 + √5).
2 2

Solve this system of equations:

2𝑎 = 𝑏(1 + √5)
7𝑎 + 4𝑏 = 2
4√5 7√5
The result is that 𝑎 = 2 − and 𝑏 = −3 + . Substitute these values in the equation
5 5
𝑐 = 2𝑎 − 𝑏. The answer is 𝑐 = 7 − 3√5 and 7 − 3 + 5 = B. 9.