2023 AMC 8 Problems/Problem 16
Contents
Problem
The letters P, Q, and R are entered into a table according to the pattern shown below. How many Ps, Qs, and Rs will appear in the completed table?
Solution 1
In our grid we can see there are , and of the letters P, Q and R’s respectively. We can see our pattern between each is , , for the P, Q and R’s respectively. This such pattern will follow in our bigger example, so we can see that the only answer choice which satisfies this condition is
(Note: you could also "cheese" this problem by listing out all of the letters horizontally in a single line and looking at the repeating pattern.)
~apex304, SohumUttamchandani, wuwang2002, TaeKim, Cxrupptedpat
Solution 2
We think about which letter is in the diagonal with of a letter. We find that it is . The rest of the grid with the P's and R's is symmetrical, so therefore, the answer is
Solution by ILoveMath31415926535
Solution 3
Notice that rows and are the same, for any . Additionally, rows , , and collectively contain the same number of s, s, and s, because the letters are just substituted for one another. Therefore, the number of s, s, and s in the first rows is . The first row has , , and , and the second row has , , and . Adding these up, we obtain .
~mathboy100
Animated Video Solution
~Star League (https://starleague.us)
Video Solution by OmegaLearn (Using Cyclic Patterns)
Video Solution by Magic Square
https://youtu.be/-N46BeEKaCQ?t=3990
See Also
2023 AMC 8 (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
Preceded by Problem 15 |
Followed by Problem 17 | |
1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 | ||
All AJHSME/AMC 8 Problems and Solutions |
The problems on this page are copyrighted by the Mathematical Association of America's American Mathematics Competitions.