2000 AMC 10 Problems/Problem 17
Problem
Boris has an incredible coin changing machine. When he puts in a quarter, it returns five nickels; when he puts in a nickel, it returns five pennies; and when he puts in a penny, it returns five quarters. Boris starts with just one penny. Which of the following amounts could Boris have after using the machine repeatedly?
Solution
Consider what happens each time he puts a coin in. If he puts in a quarter, he gets five nickels back, so the amount of money he has doesn't change. Similarly, if he puts a nickel in the machine, he gets five pennies back and the money value doesn't change. However, if he puts a penny in, he gets five quarters back, increasing the amount of money he has by 
cents.
This implies that the only possible values, in cents, he can have are the ones one more than a multiple of . Of the choices given, the only one is 
See Also
| 2000 AMC 10 (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
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Followed by Problem 18 | |
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