Showing posts with label Mathcounts questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mathcounts questions. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Similar Triangles: Team question : Beginning level

9. In the figure below, quadrilateral CDEG is a square with CD = 3, and quadrilateral BEFH is a rectangle. If EB = 5, how many units is BH? Express your answer as a mixed number

Triangle BED is a 3-4-5 right triangle and is similar to triangle GEF.

BE : ED = GE : EF = 5 : 3 = 3 : FE

EF = 9/5 = BH  The answer

Sunday, July 7, 2019

2012 Harder Mathcounts State Target Questions

Check out Mathcounts here -- the best competition math program for middle schoolers up to the 
state and national level. 

# 6: A semicircle and a circle are placed inside a square with sides of length 4 cm, as shown. The circle is tangent to two adjacent sides of the square and to the semicircle. The diameter of the semicircle is a side of the square. In centimeters, what is the radius of the circle? Express your answer as a decimal to the nearest hundredth. [2012 Mathcounts State Target #6]


#6:  Solution:
Using Pythagorean theory: (2 + r)2 = (4-r)2 + ( 2- r)2
4 + 4r + r2 = 16 - 8r + r2 + 4 - 4r + r2
 r2 - 16 r + 16 = 0
Using the quadratic formula You have 8 ± 4√ 3
Only 8 - 4 3 = 1.07 works

There is a Mathcounts Mini #34 on the same question. Check that out !!

The above question looks very similar to this year's AMC-10 B #22, so try that one.
(cover the answer choices so it's more like Mathcounts)

2014 AMC-10 B problem #22 

#8: In one roll of four standard, six-sided dice, what is the probability of rolling exactly three different numbers? Express your answer as a common fraction. [2012 Mathcounts State Target #8]

Solution I : Permutation method
If order matters, there are 6 * 5 * 4 * 1 ways to choose the number, 1 being the same number as one of the previous one.
Let's say if you choose 3 1 4 1.

Now for the placement of those 4 numbers on the 4 different dice. There are 4C2 ways to place where the two "1" will
be positioned so the answer is : \(\dfrac {6\times 5\times 4\times 1\times 4C2} {6^{4}}\) = \(\dfrac{5}{9}\)
Solution II:  Combination method

There are 6C3 = 20 ways to choose the three numbers.

There are 3 ways that the number can be repeated. [For example: If you choose 1, 2, and 3, the fourth number could be 1, 2 or 3.]

There are \(\dfrac {4!} {2!}\) =12
ways to arrange the chosen 4 numbers.[same method when you arrange AABC]
So the answer is\(\dfrac{20* 3 *12}{6^4}\) = \(\dfrac{5}{9}\)

Monday, November 7, 2016

How Many Zeros?

Problems: (Solutions below.)

#1. 2003 Chapter Team # 7--How many zeros are at the end of (100!)(200!)(300!) when multiplied out?

#2. How many zeros are at the end of 2013!? 

#3. How many zeros are at the end of 10! *9!*8!*7!*6!*5!*4!*3!*2!*1!*0!?

#4. What is the unit digit of 10! + 9! + 8! + 7! + 6! + 5! + 4! + 3! + 2! + 1! + 0!?

#5. The number \(3^{4}\times 4^{5}\times 5^{6}\) written out in full. How many zeros are there are at the end of the number?

#6. How many zeros are at the end of (31!)/(16!*8!*4!*2!*1!)

#7. 2009 National Sprint #18-- What is the largest integer n such that \(3^{n}\) is a factor of 1×3×5×…×97×99?












Solutions:
#1.For 100!, there are -- 100/5 = 20 , 20/5 = 4 (Stop when the quotient is not divisible by 5 and then add up all the quotients.), or 20 + 4 = 24 zeros.
For 200!, there are 200/5 =40 , 40/5 = 8, and  8/5 = 1, or total 40 + 8 + 1 = 49 zeros.
For 300!, there are 300/5 = 60, 60/5 = 12, and 12/5 = 2, or total 60 + 12 + 2 = 74 zeros.
Add all the quotients and you get 147 zeros. 

#2. Use the same method as #1 and the answer is 501 zeros.

#3:Starting at 5!, you have one "0", the same goes with 6!, 7!, 8!, and 9!
10! will give you 2 extra "0"s. Thus total 7 zeros.

#4: Since starting with 5! you have "0" for the unit digit, you only need to check 4! + 3! + 2! + 1! + 0!.
24 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 34 so the unit digit is 4.

#5: Make sure to prime factorize all the given number sequences, in this case, it's \(3^{4}\times 2^{10}\times 5^{6}\) after you do that.
2 * 5 = 10 will give you a zero since there are fewer 5s than 2s so the answer is 6 zeros.

#6: You need the same number of 2 and 5 multiple together to get a "0".
31! gives you 30/5 = 6, 6/5 = 1 or 6 + 1 = 7 multiples of 5
31! gives you 10//2 = 15...15/2 = 7...7/2 = 3...3/2 = 1 or 15 + 7 + 3 + 1 = 26 multiples of 2. 16!*8!*4!*2!*1! gives you 4 multiples of 5 and 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 (16!) + 4 + 2 + 1 (8!) + 2 + 1 (4!) + 1(2!)
= 26 multiples of 2.
Thus the multiples of 2s all cancel out, the answer is "0" zeros. 

#7: There are 3*1, 3*3, 3*5...3*33 or \(\dfrac {33-1} {2}+1=17\) multiples of 3.
There are 9*1, 9* 3...9*11 or \(\dfrac {11-1} {2}+1 = 6\) extra multiples of 3.
There are 27*1, 27*3 or 2 extra multiples of 3.
There is 81*1 or 1 extra multiples of 3.
Add them up and the answer is 26.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

2013 Mathcounts State Prep : Angle Bisect and Trisect Questions

Proof : 
2y = 2x + b (exterior angle = the sum of the other two interior angles)
--- equation I

y = x + a (same reasoning as above)
--- equation II

Plug in the first equation and you have
2y = 2x + 2a = 2x + b

2a = b

  
Here is the link to the Angle Bisector Theorem, including the proof and one example.


Angle ABC and ACB are both trisected into three congruent angles of x and y respectively. 
If given angle "a" value, find angle c and angle b.  

Solution: 3x + 3y = 180 - a

From there, it's very easy to find the value of x + y
and get angle c, using 180 - (x + y).

Also, once you get 2x + 2y, you can use the same method -- 180 - (2x + 2y) to get angle b




Monday, December 31, 2012

Harder Geometry Question from National Mathcounts

Question: Similar to a 96 National Mathcounts question: Circles of the same colors are congruent and tangent to each other. What is the ratio of the area of the largest circle to the area of the smallest circle?

Solution :
The most difficult part might be to find the leg that is "2R - r".
R and r being the radius of the median and the smallest circle.

Using Pythagorean theorem, you have \(\left( R+r\right) ^{2}= R^{2}+\left( 2R-r\right) ^{2}\)
\(R^{2}+2Rr+r^{2}=R^{2}+4R^{2}-4Rr+r^{2}\)
Consolidate and you have 6Rr = \(4R^{2}\)\(\rightarrow\) 3r = 2R \(\rightarrow\) r =\(\dfrac {2R} {3}\) The ratio of the area of the largest circle to the area of the smallest circle is thus \(\rightarrow\)\(\dfrac {\left( 2R\right) ^{2}} {\left( \dfrac {2R} {3}\right) ^{2}}\) = 9 .