2006 AMC 12A Problems/Problem 12
Problem
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A number of linked rings, each 1 cm thick, are hanging on a peg. The top ring has an outside diameter of 20 cm. The outside diameter of each of the outer rings is 1 cm less than that of the ring above it. The bottom ring has an outside diameter of 3 cm. What is the distance, in cm, from the top of the top ring to the bottom of the bottom ring?
Solution
The inside diameters of the rings are the positive integers from 1 to 18. The total distance needed is the sum of these values plus 2 for the top of the first ring and the bottom of the last ring. Using the formula for the sum of an arithmetic series, the answer is .
Alternatively, the sum of the consecutive integers from 3 to 20 is . However, the 17 intersections between the rings must be subtracted, and we also get
.
See also
2006 AMC 12A (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | |
Preceded by Problem 11 |
Followed by Problem 13 |
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All AMC 12 Problems and Solutions |